By: kjfitz. Read more... The S-300 is a series of Russian long range surface-to-air missile systems by the Almaz Scientific Industrial Corporation all based on the initial S-300P version. It was developed as a system against aircraft and cruise missiles for the Soviet Anti-Air Defence branch of the military, but later variations were also developed to intercept ballistic missiles.
The closest western equivalent is the United States of America MIM-104 Patriot system or the US Navy RIM-66 Standard Missile 2 (SM-2). Both systems can engage multiple targets simultaneously, employ advanced guidance methods, and rely on a single phased array guidance radar to guide the missiles in the air. The S-300 deployment time is five minutes. The S-300 missiles are sealed rounds and require no maintenance over their lifetime.