While reports about the Kiev regime losing yet another troop contingent and/or batch of armored vehicles in some ill-fated military escapade have become fairly common as of late, recently Ukrainian forces managed to lose over 20 warplanes in only a few days.
Although the Russian Ministry of Defense remains tight-lipped about the specifics of how the Ukrainian war machine suffered a significant blow, the formidable capabilities of Russia's air defense systems and fighter aircraft are becoming more evident and should not be underestimated.
The following article offers a brief explanation about the capabilities of one of the most potent air defense weapons Russia currently has at its disposal: the S-400 Triumf.
What is Russian S-400 Triumf Air Defense System?
The S-400 Triumf (NATO classification: SA-21 Growler) is a long-range mobile air defense system designed by the Russian defense contractor, Almaz-Antey.
Having undergone extensive testing at the Kapustin Yar testing range from 1999 to 2003, the S-400 was officially adopted by the Russian military in 2007, with the first S-400 division being deployed on active duty in August that year.
This air defense system can operate under any weather conditions and can engage and destroy a variety of airborne targets, including aircraft, cruise missiles and medium-range ballistic missiles.
The S-400 system typically consists of a command and control module, a 91N6E radar station and as many as six missile launcher units, each comprised of a dedicated radar station and up to 12 missile launchers.
The S-400 can detect targets at a range of up to 600 kilometers and engage multiple threats simultaneously (as many as 36) at a distance of up to 400 kilometers and travelling at altitudes of up to 30 kilometers and at speeds of up to 4,800 meters per second.
Being a mobile system, the S-400 can be deployed to the desired area at a moment’s notice, and it takes only 5 minutes to get the air defense system ready for combat after it reaches the designated area.
S-400 units launch their missiles vertically, which allows the air defense system to engage targets in any direction without the need to rotate the launchers.