No Tech Transfer in Russia’s S-400 Air Defence System Deal with China

Russia’s S-400 ‘Triumf’ air defense missile systems deal with China is without tech transfer or license production.

Moscow has begun the delivery of the S-400 systems to China under a 2014 contract, a government source disclosed to TASS Thursday.

"The implementation of the contract has begun, the first shipment has been sent to China," the source was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency.

The shipment includes a control station, a radar station, energy and support equipment, spare parts, various tools and other elements of the S-400 system.

The source also said that the contact with China stipulated neither technology transfer nor licensed production.

In November 2014, it was announced that Russia and China had signed a contract on S-400 supplies. In 2017, Russia trained a group of Chinese military servicemen to use the S-400 systems.

In June 2016, head of Russia’s Rostec State Corporation Sergei Chemezov said that the Chinese Army would receive the S-400 systems no sooner than 2018. On December 7, 2017, Chemezov said that the delivery would begin in the near future.

China is the first foreign purchaser of these air defense systems, while the second one is Turkey. S-400 system. In addition, India and Saudi Arabia are potential customers for the air defence system which can engage both aircraft and missiles at a distance of 400 km and at an altitude of up to 30 km.