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Russia: S-400s sold to Turkey to go operational in 2020

Sunday, 17 November 2019 3:26 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 17 November 2019 3:32 PM ]

A handout picture taken and released on August 27, 2019 by the Turkish Defense Ministry shows a Russian military cargo plane, carrying S-400 missile defense systems from Russia, during its unloading at the Murted military airbase, northwest of Ankara. (Via AFP)

A Russian military official says the S-400 missile defense systems sold to Turkey will be operational in spring 2020, adding that the training of Turkish personnel to work with the advanced weapons is almost complete.

Dmitry Shugayev, the head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation, made the announcement during a press conference at Dubai Airshow-2019 on Sunday, the state-run TASS news agency reported.

“By the end of this year, we will complete training of Turkish specialists, and by spring [next year], the system will enter combat duty. We are doing everything with Turkish partners in line with our plan,” he said.

The two countries finalized an agreement on the delivery of the S-400 missile systems in late 2017. So far, Turkey has received two batteries of the advanced Russian-made systems. The deliveries are set to continue through April 2020.

The S-400 entered service with the Russian army in 2007 and is considered Russia’s most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system.

Capable of engaging targets at a distance of 400 kilometers and at an altitude of up to 30 kilometers, the missile system can destroy aircraft as well as cruise and ballistic missiles. It can also be used against land-based targets.

PressTV-Turkey: US call to ditch S-400s infringes sovereign rights

Turkey rejects a demand by the United States to abandon the Russian S-400 missile defense systems.

Turkey and the United States have been at loggerheads over Ankara’s purchase of the Russian systems, which the US alleges are not compatible with the military hardware owned by the other countries of the Western military alliance of NATO.

Washington also alleges that the S-400 defense systems pose a threat to American Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter jets, which were to be jointly produced in Turkey. That production was canceled by the White House over Ankara’s purchase of the Russian-made air defense system.

Turkey seeks to boost its air defense, particularly after Washington decided in 2015 to withdraw its Patriot surface-to-air missile system from Turkish border with Syria.

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