Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Russia: S-400 to be deployed in Syria 'soon'

The Russian Air Force base in Latakia will be reinforced with S-400 SAM system, which will soon be deployed there, Russia's Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Wednesday.

News site RT reported that Shoigu said at a Defense Ministry meeting, that the S-400 "will be deployed on Khmeimim airbase in Syria."

The S-400, Russia's most advanced anti-aircraft defense system, is as an upgrade of the S-300 Growler family, designed and developed by Almaz Antei.

The S-400 uses long- and medium-range missiles that can hit aerial targets at ranges up to 400 kilometers, making it capable of striking targets in Israel as well. It can hit tactical and strategic aircraft as well as ballistic and cruise missiles. The S-400 can bring down airplanes at up to 90,000 feet - more than double the height of a cruising commercial airliner. No less than 300 targets can be tracked simultaneously by the radar complex of the S-400, which sports six anti-aircraft missile launchers. (READ MORE)