pulled the off a site Senior Russian aerospace officials admitted that they are testing new SAM missiles against the F-117 that was shot down by Serb forces in 1999. The Russians admitted that the F-117 was being used to test new anti-stealth technology and advanced missiles designed to shoot down U.S. aircraft. Russian researchers are testing components of a new air defense system against the F-117 remains. The Russian anti-stealth tests include radio frequency seekers from surface-to-air missiles and proximity fuses for missile warheads. Russian missile makers Antey Industrial Corp. and the Almaz Central Design Bureau are using the F-117 and modified Russian-made stealth aircraft to test components for the next generation of Russian Surface to Air Missiles (SAMs). Almaz engineers claim its S-300PMU-2 system can locate and destroy stealth targets up to 60 miles away. Almaz is currently trying to sell the S-300PMU-2 to China.

Please don't tell me you're surprised. The Serbs shipped that F-117 straight to Russia six years ago. Surely no one thought that it would be stuck in a museam or something as an ornament. Russian manufacturing has always been second rate. But their high energy physics and mathmatical skill have traditionally been topnotch. The technical paper that laid the theoretical groundwork for the F-117 was translated from Russian. It's one of the reasons I consistantly pooh-pooh the stealth mafia. The US is going to spend $1/3 Billion to field this huge fleet of stealth aircraft only to have stealth be irrelevant by the time they reach full operation.

Oh, ye of little faith--and even less real-world data to support you. "The S-300PMU-2 will engage stealth aircraft at 60 miles." Keep smoking that stuff, Ivan. Meanwhile, stealth aircraft will keep smoking their targets, any targets, for many years to come. And I thought the Chinese already received several battalions of S-300PMU-2? Displacedjim

Chinese have S-300V which is far less capable than S-300PMU-2. The biggest problem for S-300PMU-2 or S-400 in dealing with stealthy aircraft is the dependance on single receiver/emitter that makes them vulnerable to HARMS. If they can (I dont know) switch radars that guide the missiles, its another case. Anyway, I would look down my nose when speaking about S-300/400 series, the missiles are agile and very fast.. so you dont need long illumination. I believe that detection range may well be 60 miles, but when it can start to track and lock on? Thats completely another question and in any case, those SAM crews have to worry about HARM and other weapons with pretty long stand-off range. Cheers.

... and they have S-300PMU´s not S-300PMU1´s nor S-300PMU2´s.

Musty, I like your comments and agree with you on everything except, "Chinese have S-300V which is far less capable than S-300PMU-2." I've never seen any indication the Chinese have SA-12s. That's primarily an ATBM system, and it's never been exported that I'm aware of. If you can back that up somehow I'd be interested to read it. Displacedjim

The PAC-3 is the most advance system in the world .Despite the few mishaps in testing and in the battle grounds it is by far the best system dollar for dollar pound for pound. Every US ally wants this system. if not why is russia so afraid of keeping the system out of polands hands. Most recently the PAC 3 is getting a major overhaul in its kill mechanism and engine making it the lightest fastes kill missle in the world, ....hint remember the test to shoot down  an aging satellite out of the strastophere...that was no fluke my friends .  OF course the russians had to come up with something like the s300 they have been sleeping since the cold war ended because they cant compete with the military technology the west and theuir allies have. Recently posted in the jerusalem blogs . "IF russia sells  system S300 to Iran we would inalate the system by proving to the russians its vulnerabilities to the world and then no ally of russia would buy it" and russia cannot afford a mistake like that.