India May Sign 6 Billion Deal For Five S-400 Air Defense System By End 2016.
On May 13 The Indian Council for Defence Procurement approved the agreement for the purchase of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems from Russia.
"The signing of the contract could take place at the end of 2016, and we are talking about the purchase of the five regiments of the S-400 two-division composition and, and six thousand missiles totaling about $6 billion," - said a TASS news agency source, close to the Ministry of Defence of India.
According to the "Izvestia" military expert Dmitry Safonov, the Russian Defence Ministry first plans to supply 16 ZRK S-400 regiments to the Russian army, and only then proceed to export. "By the end of 2016, the Russian armed forces will get the final five S-400 regiments, and Moscow will start full-scale work to export this system", - said the expert.
Safonov stressed that China is the first in line for the supply of anti-aircraft missile systems. "Russia and China have warm and friendly relations and, by way of exception, the first set of S-400 machines will be sent to our partner as early as 2016", - the expert added.
The contract for the supply of six battalions (one battalion has eight ZRK S-400 launchers, plus support machines – ed.) of the advanced anti-aircraft missile systems to China is estimated at $3 billion.
Safonov said that one S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems regiment can have up to 300 machines and consist of two or three divisions depending on the location of the dislocation and the Ministry of Defence decisions. "They do not only start charge transport-combat units. The complex also includes radar systems, command vehicles, and many others", - the expert added.
The S-400 "Triumph" is an advanced multi-channel long range anti-aircraft missile complex. The system is designed to protect ground targets at a distance of up to 400 kilometers from the aircraft, potential enemy’s cruise and ballistic missiles. The complex was adopted by the Russian Federation in 2007.
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