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Launched with No Intent
Russia’s military tested yesterday the PRS-1 antimissile of close interception. The missile blasted off from Sary-Shagan (Kazakhstan) launch pad. Though the test proved only the flying and not the hitting ability of PRS-1, its service life was extended by two years and a half to 20 years overall.
PRS-1 antimissile was test-launched Wednesday to check the possible extension of its service life. It blasted off from Sary-Shagan launch pad and reached the 30km altitude in a bit more than five seconds. Then, it was commanded to explode and duly obeyed the command.
For the military, this behavior of the ailing antimissile quite sufficed to sanction it to make flights in this century. As a result, the service life of PRS-1 was extended by another two years and a half to 20 years overall, which is two fold above the term set by designers.
Developed in 1980s, PRS-1s are the sole obsolete antimissiles in Russia's system of antiballistic defense. The future of our missile protection, a source with Defense Ministry said on condition of anonymity, is based on the concept that specifies neither upgrading nor designing of antimissiles. Their functions will be taken by missiles that are currently developed for Antey-2500 and S-400 Triumph S-300VM systems of antiballistic defense.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 06, 2006
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