S-350 Vityaz vs. USA's Patriot: Superiority is obvious

Russia's anti-aircraft missile system S-350 Vityaz shot down aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the zone of the special military operation. The Vityaz system shot the aircraft down in full automatic mode with no human intervention at all, RIA Novosti reports.

According to the agency, it was the first time ever when such a mode of air defence system operation was tested in combat conditions. S-350 Vityaz detected the target, tracked and destroyed it fully automatically.

The source (which the agency has not disclosed) also said that S-350 missiles shot down several Ukrainian combat aircraft and drones, while the combat crew was only there to control the operation of the complex.

The operator did not interfere with the work of the complex, and the system proceeded working following the algorithm chosen by artificial intelligence for the unfolding combat situation.

The Vityaz operates in both active and passive radar modes at a time. This increases the noise immunity of the system, as well as its ability to detect and classify targets, the source told the agency.

Alexander Mikhailov, the head of the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, said that the S-350 Vityaz anti-aircraft missile system was cheaper than USA's Patriot.

US-made military equipment is traditionally more overrated, the expert believes. The Vityaz can be compared with the Patriot complex in terms of performance, but the missiles of the Russian system fly faster and can hit low-flying targets, the expert said. In addition, the Vityaz is capable of hitting targets at a height of ten meters, while the Patriot cannot shoot down objects flying at an altitude of less than 100 meters.

It is worthy of note that the export version of the S-350 Vityaz system can be compatible with foreign air defence systems.

The S-350 Vityaz medium-range air defence system is designed to combat aerodynamic and ballistic targets. The complex includes a command and control centre, a multifunctional radar station and a self-propelled launcher that carries 12 missiles.