The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) successfully test-fired an upgraded air defense missile from the Sary-Shagan firing range in Kazakhstan, a military official said on Monday.
“We have successfully test fired a new upgraded air defense missile,” VKS missile task force deputy commander Colonel Andrey Prikhodko was quoted as saying by official Ministry of Defence newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda.
Prikhodko said the missile had “significantly higher” tactical and technical characteristics “regarding the range, precision and operational lifetime.”
The missile fired was the PRS-1M, according to RT.
PRS-1M is capable of intercepting single and multiple strikes, including new generation ICBMs, according to the report. It is able to destroy targets at an estimated distance of 350 kilometers and at an altitude of 40-50,000 meters.
The missile can be deployed inside a silo or via a mobile launcher.
Russia previously tested the missile in November.
The PRS-1M is meant to replace the 53T6 short-range anti-ballistic missiles as part of the ABM shield guarding Moscow from nuclear strikes.
According to Prikhodko, the VKS is undergoing full-scale air defense modernization, including missiles as well as information and reconnaissance assets such as radar systems.