Putin says Air Force upgrade a priority for armed forces

MOSCOW, April 20 (RIA Novosti)

Upgrading the Air Force and air defense systems will be a priority in the development of the Russian armed forces in the near future, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in his annual address to parliament on Wednesday. "Anti-aircraft missile brigades are already receiving new S-400 [SA-21 Growler] systems," Putin said. "In the future, the production of S-500 systems will be started. They are capable of meeting air defense and missile defense tasks and destroying targets in near space," he said.