A new short-range air defense missile system should be ready to enter service in Russia in 2013, former chief designer of Almaz-Antei corporation Igor Ashurbeili said.
The Morfey, which is an ultra short-range mobile air defense system with an effective range of five kilometers, has been in development since 2007.
“The system is expected to enter service in 2013,” Ashurbeili said, adding that the project has been receiving sufficient funding so far.
In its current design, the new system features a radar with a dome-shape antenna, which provides constant 360-degree tracking of targets.
“If the design remains unchanged, it will be a unique weapon,” Ashurbeili, who currently co-chairs an expert council on aerospace defense, said in an exclusive interview with RIA Novosti.
The Morfey will complement the Vityaz, the S-400 and the S-500 air defense systems in the future aerospace defense network to engage targets at ranges from five to 400 kilometers, and at altitudes from five meters to near space.