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Advanced military hardware operational with Russian Central District air defense force

The proportion of advanced air defense missile systems and radars in service with Central Military District air defense (AD) forces exceeds 70%, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press office said. "As of today, the Central Military District’s air and air defense army operates S-400 Triumf [NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler] air defense missile systems. In 2020, two air defense missile regiments stationed in the Sverdlovsk Region [in the Urals] and the Samara Region [in the Volga area] will receive another four sets of the S-400 system," the press office said.

S-350 Vityaz air defense system (Picture source: Army Recognition)

"The servicemen of the regiment based in the Urals have already undergone a conversion training course at a special training center. Air defense missile regiments based in Khakassia [in south Siberia] and the Krasnoyarsk Territory [in East Siberia] are expected to get advanced S-350 Vityaz air defense missile systems in the medium term," the press office added.

The S-400 Triumf is a Russian-made long- and medium-range air defense missile system. It can hit aerodynamic targets at a range of up to 400 kilometers (249 miles) and tactical ballistic targets flying at a speed of 4.8 km/s (3 mi/s) at a distance of up to 60 kilometers (37 miles). Such targets include cruise missiles, tactical and strategic aircraft and ballistic missile warheads. The system’s radars detect aerial targets at a distance of up to 600 kilometers (373 miles). The system’s 48N6E3 surface-to-air missiles can hit aerodynamic targets at altitudes of 10,000-27,000 meters and ballistic threats at altitudes of 2,000-25,000 meters.

The S-350 Vityaz air defense missile system is designed to defend strategic administrative and military facilities from air-launched weapons. The complex can operate automatically and the crew has only to deploy it and monitor its operations. It can operate both autonomously and as part of air defense/ballistic missile defense forces armed with S-300 (SA-10 Grumble), S-400, S-500 and some other advanced and perspective surface-to-air missile systems. The S-350 comprises a 50K6E command post, 50N6E multifunctional radars and 50P6E launchers armed with 12 9M96E2 guided missiles each. The system can hit a maximum of 16 aerodynamic targets or 12 ballistic targets at a time. The maximum range is 60 kilometers (37 miles) and the altitude is 30 kilometers (19 miles). The deployment time is five minutes. The system’s crew comprises three men.