The Hand of Prometheus: How and Where Future Crews for the Newest S-500 Air Defense System Are Trained
Within the walls of the Yaroslavl Higher Military School of Air Defense, cadets are mastering the newest S-500 Prometheus anti-aircraft missile system. Nowhere else in the country is such a specialist trained. The S-500 specialization is the newest at the school, having only been established in 2023. On the "Military Acceptance" program on the Zvezda TV channel, the school's command lifted the veil of secrecy and demonstrated the training process. The S-500 anti-aircraft missile system is an air defense system with missile defense elements. This formidable weapon is designed to intercept all existing air targets.
"The S-500 is a unique system. It's unique in that it can destroy existing airborne targets, including hypersonic and ballistic missiles. We've even achieved speeds that countries won't achieve for another ten years. Field tests have proven that we can already destroy them," said Valery Zosiev, head of the Yaroslavl Higher Military Air Defense School.
Cadets train in a special classroom that simulates a command post. Soldiers "cover" the skies above the protected facility, which could be a nuclear power plant or a major industrial center. The regiment's mission is to repel an air attack. The room is occupied by a commander, air control officers, and fire control officers—the training is as realistic as possible. Cadets must identify the type of targets, their number, and their speed. In a real combat situation, a command post could be located anywhere, but air defense battalions operate in the field. In this case, they are located in the adjacent room.
For now, the Pantsir anti-aircraft missile and gun system remains the primary workhorse in the special operations zone. Many of the cadets learning its intricacies in the classroom already have combat experience, having entered the academy literally from the front lines. Ivan is one of them. He served eight years in a reconnaissance company of a special forces unit, was wounded, spent time in the hospital, and then entered the Yaroslavl academy. Now his area of responsibility is the sky.
"Our specialty is detecting and transmitting information to units engaged in the destruction of air targets. This service is very different from what I did before.
It required a reconnaissance mindset and a high level of physical fitness. Today, modern technology and air defense are rapidly developing. This is a key focus in training," admitted cadet Ivan, a participant in the Special Military Command.
All cadets at the Yaroslavl Higher Military School learn to operate air defense systems without the aid of automated systems. They must be able to operate modern, electronically-packed systems "hands-on." This is a distinctive feature of the Russian air defense system, the school admits. Today, its graduates guard the skies in special operations zones, and new specialists are ready to replace them.
