S-500: A strategic leap, not a simple upgrade
S-400 vs S-500: Capability comparison
Intercept altitude: Up to 30 km
Targets: Aircraft, drones, cruise missiles
Missile types: 48N6, 40N6
Role: Theatre air defence
Coverage: Regional / sector protection
Mission: Tactical & operational threats
Range: 500–600 km (est.)
Intercept altitude: 180–200 km (near-space)
Targets: Aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, long-range ballistic missiles, potential hypersonic threats
Missile types: 77N6-N, 77N6-N1 hit-to-kill kinetic interceptors
Role: National air, missile & space defence
Coverage: Strategic cities, command nodes, nuclear and critical infrastructure
Diplomatic momentum ahead of Putin visit
Energy, trade and local currency push
A Senior Associate Editor with more than 30 years in the media, Stephen N.R. curates, edits and publishes impactful stories for Gulf News — both in print and online — focusing on Middle East politics, student issues and explainers on global topics.
Stephen has spent most of his career in journalism, working behind the scenes — shaping headlines, editing copy and putting together newspaper pages with precision.
For the past many years, he has brought that same dedication to the Gulf News digital team, where he curates stories, crafts explainers and helps keep both the web and print editions sharp and engaging.