Third regiment set of S-400 system to be supplied to RF Far East
18.02.2011, 10.27
KAPUSTIN YAR (Astrakhan region), February 18 (Itar-Tass) - The S-400 Triumph advanced air defence missile system will be supplied for rearmament of an air defence missile regiment that is stationed in the Far East, Aerospace Defence Commander Lieutenant-General Valery Ivanov told journalists on Friday. According to him, “these systems are already being prepared according to plan for rearmament and delivery to the Far East.” “The advanced armaments will replace there outdated samples of combat equipment and armaments,” the commander stressed. According to him, the regiment in the Far East will be the third to be rearmed with the S-400 systems.
The second regimental set of the S-400 system is being transferred these days to a military unit in the Moscow region stationed outside Dmitrov. Ivanov said that this regiment, comprising two squadrons having 8 launchers each, will soon depart on a troop train from Kapustin Yar to the Moscow region.
The S-400 Triumph is a new generation air defence system developed by Russia's Almaz Central Design Bureau as an upgrade of the S-300 family. It is currently in limited service with the Russian Armed Forces. The S-400’s NATO reporting name is SA-21 Growler, and the system was previously known as S-300PMU-3. It overshadows the capabilities of the other systems from the S-300 series, and its range is said to be at least twice that of the MIM-104 Patriot system. According to Russian sources, the S-400 is capable of detecting six targets out to a range of 400 km (250 miles), including aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles having a range of maximum 3,500 km and a speed of maximum 4.8 km/s and then engaging them at ranges of up to 200 km. It is designed to have improved performance against stealth aircraft. The S-400 is expected to be superseded by the future S-500, with development expected to be completed by 2012.
S-400 uses 3 different missiles to cover its entire performance envelope. These are the extremely long range 40N6, long range 48N6E3 and short range 9M96E or 9M96E2 missiles. Each has different capabilities. The development of the S-400 system began in the late 1990s. The system was formally announced by the Russian Air Force in January 1999. On 12 February 1999, the first tests were performed at Kapustin Yar in Astrakhan, which were reported successful. As a result of this, the S-400 was scheduled for deployment in the Russian army in 2001. In 2003 it first became apparent that the system was ready for deployment, but in August two high-ranking military officials expressed concerns that the S-400 was being tested using ‘obsolete’ interceptors from the S-300P and concluded that it was not ready for production. Finally the completion of the project was announced in February 2004. In April, a ballistic missile was successfully intercepted in a test of the upgraded 48N6DM interceptor missile.
A regular S-400 battalion consists of at least eight launchers with 32 missiles and a mobile command post. On May 21, 2007 the Russian Air Force announced that S-400 would be put on combat duty around Moscow and Central Russia by July 1, 2007. The S-400 was also deployed near the town of Elektrostal.
On February 8, 2008, Lieutenant-General Vladimir Sviridov announced that Russia will be replacing the S-300 systems in the Northwest of Russia with the more technologically advanced S-400. Russian military experts expect that Russia plans for this system to be in place and represent a major component of their ballistic missile defence system until 2020. A simplified version of the S-400, designated the HQ-19, was developed jointly with China. China provided the majority of the funding for development. Photos of the S-400 in China were released by Information Group in May 2009. Russia has also offered the system to the United Arab Emirates and Greece. During the IDEF 2009 in Istanbul Turkey expressed interest in buying the system.
Perhaps the biggest impact for in particular the United States is nations like Iran expressing interest in the system. Vice Chairman of Russia’s State Duma Vladimir Zhirinovsky has urged the fast delivery of the S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran. Such a move is likely seen as bolstering ties between Moscow and Tehran, something Washington has found difficult to deal with. In September 2006 Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov announced a new state programme of armaments for 2007-2015. This programme provides for the purchase of 18 missile battalions of S-400. On March 17, 2009 Russia’s defence minister announced that a second regiment equipped with advanced S-400 Triumph air defence missile systems has been put into combat service.
ITAR-TASS
