Russia’s Eastern Military District has taken delivery of a regimental set of S-400 Triumph air defence missile systems, the nation’s Ministry of Defence has revealed.
According to RIA Novosti, Russia currently has four S-400 regiments, including two in the Moscow region, one in the Baltic Fleet and one in the Eastern Military District.
Developed as an upgrade to the S-300 missile system by central design bureau Almaz, the S-400 Triumph long- to medium-range surface-to-air missile system is designed to intercept a range of airborne and ground based threats.
The system is capable of destroying airborne targets such as stealth aircraft, cruise and ballistic missile threats using a range of missiles at a distance of up to 250 miles, an altitude of 40,000m to 50,000m, and a speed of up to three miles per second.
Code named SA-21 Growler, the S-400 air defence regiment comprises of four air defence systems each, with two or three battalions.
The nation’s defence ministry said that it has no plans to export the S-400 systems, with the S-300 systems only being replaced by the S-400 systems for the Russian Armed Forces.
Around 56 battalions are expected to be armed with S-400 systems by 2020.
Russia’s plan to deploy battalions of the missile systems this year is thought by many to be a response to the US-led Nato antimissile shield initiative, which Russia considers as a threat to its national security.
Image: The launch vehicle of Russian S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems. Photo: courtesy of UMNICK.
