The Air Defense System of Moscow and the Russian Central Economic region will receive new weapons, including prestigious S-400 and S-500 air defense systems, Air Force Commander Colonel General Alexander Zelin said on Saturday.
"We have Air Defense System which protects Moscow and the Central Economic region; this system operates, accomplishes tasks and, of course, undergoes changes," Zelin said.
Central economic region is located in the European part of Russia; it is the country's major industrial region. Besides Moscow, major cities include Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Tula, Dzerzhinsk, and Rybinsk.
"We will buy a significant number of S-400s before 2020. They will not just go to the five anti-aircraft missile regiments equipped with this system, but also to a much larger number [of regiments.] We are also discussing the [purchase of] S-500 anti-aircraft missile systems," Zelin said.
The S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler) is designed to intercept and destroy airborne targets at distances of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles), twice the range of the U.S. MIM-104 Patriot, and two-and-a-half times that of Russia's S-300PMU-2.
The system is also believed to be able to destroy stealth aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, and is effective at ranges of up to 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) and speeds of up to 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) per second.
Regular S-400 battalion comprises at least eight launchers with 32 missiles and a mobile command post, according to various sources.
In 2009, Russia deployed S-400 air defense systems in the Far East to counter the potential threat posed by N. Korea's missile tests.
So far, Russia has three S-400 battalions.
MOSCOW, August 14 (RIA Novosti)
