Russia to receive new S-400 long range missile

Russia's S-400 Triumf

2 July 2012 airforce-technology.com

The Russian Air Force's Air Defense Units will soon take delivery of a newly developed long-range missile for the S-400 Triumph air defence missile system, a senior defence official has revealed.

Russia's Air and Missile Defense Command chief-of-staff major-general Andrei Demin told RIA Novosti: ''A long-range missile for S-400 has passed all trials and will soon be delivered to air defense units.''

Demin did not specify the model of the missile, however, the new missile is likely to be the 40N6 variant. The missile features an active radar homing head and is capable of intercepting airborne targets, located at ranges of up to 400km.

Russia currently has four deployed S-400 regiments, including two in the Moscow region, one in the Baltic Fleet and another in the Eastern Military District.

Developed by central design bureau Almaz as an upgrade to the S-300 missile system, the S-400 Triumph is a long to medium-range surface-to-air missile system, designed to intercept a range of ground-based and airborne targets such as stealth aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles.

The S-400 air defence regiment, code named SA-21 Growler, comprises four air defence systems each, along with two or three battalions, mainly in maritime and border regions.

According to Russian Ministry of Defence, there are 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, a move considered by many as Moscow's response to the US-led Nato antimissile shield (AMD) initiative in Europe, which it considers as a threat to its national security.