Russia deploys modern air defence missiles around Moscow

Russia deployed on Monday the first regiment equipped with the state-of-the-art S-400 Triumph air defence missiles at a ceremony in the town of Elektrostal

Russia deployed on Monday the first regiment equipped with the state-of-the-art S-400 Triumph air defence missiles at a ceremony in the town of Elektrostal, about 50 km east of Moscow in the presence of Air Force commander Col-Gen Alexander Zelin and other senior officers.

From now on, a division of S-400 Triumph NATO codename SA-Growler and a command post will protect the air space of Russian capital.

According to the plan, Russian Air Defence Force will gradually replace its more than 30 regiments equipped with S-300 missile system, with S-400.

The latest air defence missile system developed by the Almaz Research and Production Association NPO Almaz, can intercept and destroy airborne targets, including the warheads to the size of a tennis ball, at the range of 400 km twice the range of the American MIM -104 Patriot, and 2.5 times that of the S-300PMU-2.

S-400 can also be used for limited purposes in missile and space defence and it is capable of destroying stealth aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles with an effective range of 3,500 km and a speed of 4.8 km per second.

The S-400 uses both standard and super long-range missiles. They have a high probability of hitting targets in one launch. Micro-engines installed on the rockets allow them to manoeuvre at altitudes up to 35 kilometres with G-load of over 20 units, which ensures high effectiveness of hitting medium- and small-range ballistic missiles.

8220;The corresponding military-technical base has been created in the body of troops that adopted the S-400 system for service and the personnel has been correspondingly trained,8221; the spokesman for the Russian Air Force Col. Alexander Drobyshevsky told Itar-Tass news agency.

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8220;It is planned to use the Triumph system in the interests of the missile defence and for shielding major industrial centres of Russia,8221; Drobyshevsky said.

He said the the regiment personnel passed examinations and had a successful drill at the Defence Ministry8217;s training range on July 12-13.

8220;The servicemen returned to their permanent location and started to prepare for the new mission,8221; he pointed out. Almaz director general Igor Ashurbeili who also attended the ceremony, said Russia could start producing the S-400 missile system for export from 2009.

8220;Within two years, our forces will test this system to ensure that there are no problems with it on the market and then we will start producing them for export from 2009,8221; Ashurbeili said.