A contract to deliver Russian-made S-400 (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) air defense missile systems to Turkey has been signed. Turkey has become the second NATO member-state to purchase Russian-made S-400 systems. "Two S-400 air defense missile systems have been deployed in Syria, providing twenty-four-hour air defense for the Humaymim and Tartus bases," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said during his trip to Southeast Asian countries.

The S-400 air defense system displayed at MAKS airshow in Russia

Until recently, Greece was the only NATO member-state developing military and technical cooperation with Russia. In particular, the Greek armed forces operate S-300PMU1 (SA-20 Gargoyle) air defense missile systems. "Other countries, including Middle East and Southeast Asian ones, have showed interest in purchasing S-400 systems," Shoigu said. On September 12, 2017, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara had inked an agreement with Moscow on the purchase of S-400 systems and made an advance payment for them. As Head of Russia’s Rostec state hi-tech corporation Sergei Chemezov said earlier, the delivery of the S-400 systems to Turkey would begin in March 2020.

The S-400 Triumf is a Russian-made long- and medium-range air defense missile system. The system is designed to eliminate all advanced and perspective air-launched weapons. The system 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.

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