An instructor from the Air Defence Missile Systems Command Posts Department at the Yaroslavl Higher Military Air Defence School explained the key differences between Russia’s S-400 Triumf and the US Patriot system.
According to him, one of the main distinctions lies in radar coverage. Patriot radar stations provide sector-based surveillance, while the S-400 radar can monitor the airspace across a full 360 degrees.
Speaking on the Military Acceptance programme, the instructor also said the S-400 command post uses a more sophisticated radar and argued that Patriot systems are inferior in detection range.
Another major difference is the missile launch method. The S-400 uses vertical launch, while Patriot missiles are fired at an angle. According to the instructor, this can cost the US system additional reaction time when an air attack comes from certain directions.
He added that the S-400’s vertical launch is enabled by a specialised transport-launch container. Its production begins with a sheet of aluminium alloy, which is shaped into a rounded form using rolling machines.
The container then undergoes treatment in a galvanising workshop. The metal is repeatedly placed in water heated to 80 degrees Celsius and then cooled, forming a protective film on its surface.