Research and development for the S-500 air defense system is in the final phase, Russia's Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said.
"I’m talking about the completion of research and development and the subsequent beginning of batch production," the minister said.
"I can now say that the R&D work is about to be completed," TASS cited Manturov as saying.
Earlier, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the system would begin to be provided for the armed forces in 2020. The Aerospace Force Academy in Tver has been training operators for it since 2017.
