Russian Aerospace Forces Receives S-400 Triumph Missile Regiment

Russia’s Aerospace Forces has received S-400 Triumph air defence missile system for Moscow and the Central Industrial District, the Russian Defence Ministry told local media on Monday.

"A new regimental set of the S-400 Triumph air defence missile system has arrived by train at the place of permanent deployment in the Moscow region from the Kapustin Yar range in the Astrakhan region where system’s live fire exercise was held," the ministry was quoted as saying by TASS.  

"With the new system’s putting on combat duty, the Aerospace Defence Forces’ antiaircraft defence formation will have four air defence missile regiments equipped with the state-of-the-art S-400 Triumph missile systems ensuring air defence of Moscow and the Central Industrial District," the ministry’s press service was quoted as saying.

Five more sets of the S-400 air defence missile system are expected to be delivered in 2016 to the Russian army, bringing the total number to 16.

TASS reported early December that the number of regiments equipped with the said systems was 11 by late 2015.

The S-400 Triumph (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) was developed as an upgrade of the S-300 series of surface-to-air missile systems. The S-400, manufactured by Almaz-Antey, is capable of targeting up to 36 airplanes at a range of 150 kilometres. The S-400 has the ability to not only shoot down airplanes, but also ballistic missiles. The system is designed to destroy all modern and advanced aerospace targets at a distance of up to 400 kilometers (248.5 miles).