MOSCOW, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — Russia' s weapons manufacturer Almaz-Antey Concern has started the development of the 5-generation medium-range air defense missile system, the Russian news agency TASS reported Friday.

"The fifth-generation medium-range air defense missile system will have a deep integration with the single layered air defense system and the support of the network-centric control system," an Almaz-Antey Concern representative said at the International Military-Technical "Army 2016" Forum.

According to the agency, the new missile has a significantly lower weight which has increased the missile system vehicle's on-board ammunition capacity by 1.5 times.

This summer, Almaz-Antey has successfully tested the fourth-generation Buk-M3 missile system.