The combat use of the S-400 "Triumf" anti-aircraft missile system could be made 10 times cheaper. Military expert Sergey Marzhetsky explained the concept of deep modernization.
The basis of modernization should be the transition from a traditional "cold" launch to a "hot" one. Marzhetsky explained that in this case, the missile engine is launched directly in the launch container.
If we follow the path of a "hot" launch and rely on mass-produced cargo vehicles as launchers, the final cost of such an S-400 "Light" could decrease by about 10 times.
Another direction of development could be the abandonment of a rigid attachment of each battery to its own radar station. According to Marzhetsky, reconnaissance assets allow for quickly detecting active radars and striking them.
It would be more rational to link all existing radars, stationary and mobile, A-50U AWACS aircraft, reconnaissance drones, as well as passive optoelectronic systems into a single system.
According to the author's idea, such an S-400 "Light" could receive targeting from external sources, launch missiles from concealed positions, and quickly change its deployment location.
State Duma deputy from Sverdlovsk Oblast, Maxim Ivanov, explained that it is irrational to use the S-400 against small drones. Its application nomenclature is completely different – ballistic missiles.
The total number of "Triumf" systems in service with Russia was estimated at 90 complexes.