Russia now has the world’s best air defense shield. In a serious clash with US, Russia may survive to fight another day

Translation:  MOSCOW, December 29. / TASS /. The new S-550 anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) has successfully passed state tests and entered combat duty. This was reported to TASS by a source close to the defense ministry. "The S-550 air defense missile system has successfully completed state tests. The first S-550 brigade took up combat duty," he said. According to the interlocutor of the agency, this is "an absolutely new mobile strategic missile defense system, which has no analogues, it is capable of striking spacecraft, warheads of intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic targets at altitudes of several tens of thousands of kilometers."

The S-400 AD system. Until recently the best in its class. It's being actively marketed across the globe, to nations ranging from Turkey to India and even Saudi Arabia.

OK, first things first--"several tens of thousands"? Typo, but even if typo and only several thousand kilometers into space, it is mind-boggling still. Defies imagination, on the other hand with the range of 1000 kilometers against aerial targets and SU-57 (and S-70 Okhotnik) officially having the ability to guide air-defense missiles it has not just operational but strategic implications. The only question which comes next--is there a S-600 (let's call it that) in the works? Something tells me that it is. But having the S-500 and S-550 in tandem together with other systems--this is groundbreaking. And Earth-shattering. This also explains why Russia is gladly selling S-400s, which is a stunner in its own right but pales when compared to the capabilities of S-550.  Russia closes not just the airspace over her (and allies) but space too.