The S-400 is entering service with the Russian military, and they expect to begin exports in 2009.
It’s clear that they are looking at this to be a big seller. It should have some decent capabilities against stealthy aircraft, and it has good anti-cruise missile and anti-tactical ballistic missile capabilities.
Considering the range of the system (over 400km), it would be expected that it would be capable of engaging low radar cross section targets at a much shorter range.
Given that a conventional bomber would have a radar cross section in the 10m2 range, and detection range a function of 4th route of the RCS (i.e. a reduction of 32x in RCS will cut range by 1/2), you get potential detection ranges as follows, assuming 400km for the bomber.
|
Range
|
RCS
|
Type
|
|
400 km
|
10m2
|
B-1, F-15
|
|
336 km
|
5m2
|
F-16
|
|
225 km
|
1m2
|
F-18E, Rafale
|
|
189 km
|
0.5 m2
|
Typhoon
|
|
48 km
|
0.00200m2
|
F-117 (WAG)
|
|
40 km
|
0.00100 m2
|
F-35
|
|
23 km
|
0.00010 m2
|
F-22, B2
|
So you are looking at something like a 15 mile detection range against the stealthiest targets.
Update: This range is for high frequency radars. The S-400 also has a VHF radar, which would diminish the effectiveness of stealth, to some (I don’t know what) degree.