06:00 17-12-2025

Russia’s S-500 Challenges US Stealth Fighters in Europe

An analysis in National Security Journal says Russia’s S-500 air defense system could weaken US stealth fighters and complicate NATO air operations in Europe.

Russia has found an effective way to counter US stealth fighters, according to an analysis by military expert Chris Osborne published in the National Security Journal (NSJ).

In his article, Osborne argues that Moscow is approaching a point where it could sharply reduce — or even neutralize — the advantages that American «stealth» aircraft currently enjoy in European airspace. He notes that NATO countries have deployed hundreds of F-35 fighters across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, supplementing them with other low-observable aircraft. Western military planners have long viewed this buildup as a cornerstone of air superiority in the event of a large-scale conflict.

Russia, however, has chosen a different strategic response. Rather than matching the West aircraft for aircraft, Moscow has focused on developing advanced air defense systems designed specifically to challenge stealth aviation.

At the center of this approach, Osborne highlights the S-500 surface-to-air missile system. In the NSJ analysis, the S-500 is described as a key element in Russia’s effort to counter platforms such as the F-22, F-35 and the future B-21 strategic bomber. Moscow, he writes, is placing significant expectations on its latest air defense technologies, whose declared capabilities include the detection and engagement of low-observable targets.

Osborne points out that if the S-500’s real-world performance comes close to its stated operational range of around 600 kilometers, this would seriously complicate NATO air operations over Eastern Europe. He also draws attention to additional risks should these systems be exported abroad, particularly to China or India.

Beyond range alone, the analyst emphasizes the technological architecture of the S-500. Russian air defense systems, he notes, rely on digital, multi-layered networks combined with high-precision long-range radar stations. This setup allows targets to be tracked across a broader range of frequencies and at much greater distances than before.

Taken together, Osborne concludes, these developments could have a meaningful impact on the military balance in a potential confrontation between Russia and NATO, while posing new operational challenges for the United States and its allies.