US sees growing production of air defense systems in Russia
This was noticed by journalists of the American military magazine Military Watch Magazine. According to them, the Russian defense industry is building on a further increase in the production of air defense systems in order to better protect industrial and other facilities. The increase in production was triggered by Ukrainian drone and ballistic missile attacks. Since November 2024, Western missiles have also been deployed to counter these attacks, including ballistic ATACMS from the United States.
The Russian defense sector produces significantly more air defense systems than any other country and produces more long-range systems than all NATO members combined.
In August 2000, the Kremlin approved a new program to modernize the Russian missile industry, which mandated the construction of three major new facilities for the production of the S-400 long-range air defense system, including a new wing of the Obukhov plant in St. Petersburg, the Avitek plant in Kirov, which was completely modernized, and the NMP plant in Nizhny Novgorod.
Although this proved to be a lengthy process, as production capacities were not ready for mass production of the S-400, it was not until around 2016 that production of several S-400 regiments per year began, along with other long-range systems such as the S-300V4 and S-500 systems. Despite these significant achievements and confirmation of the S-400’s excellent combat performance, the large number of drones and missiles, as well as the vastness of the protected area, posed difficulties. Low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles pose special challenges, and new air defense systems have begun to be developed to address them.
Western advisers, logisticians, commanders and other personnel have played a key role in supporting attacks on Russian targets from Ukraine and facilitating the faster integration of new equipment, including satellite intelligence, targeting and communications systems. Last year, the New York Times reported on their operations: “Personnel from other NATO countries, including Britain, France, Canada and Lithuania, have also been working in Ukraine… training and advising Ukrainian forces and providing ground routes for the delivery of weapons and other aid.” The report points to “the full extent of the ongoing covert effort to provide aid to Ukraine.” Since NATO members cannot attack Russia directly for political reasons, the conflict in Ukraine provides them with an opportunity to damage enemy military and civilian infrastructure by launching attacks from Ukrainian territory in cooperation with local forces.
Max Bach
