Russia To Get New Air Missile Defense System By 2017

Russia plans to deploy a new air missile defense system in 2017 that can hit targets in space, the Russian News agency was quoted by Defense News.

“The promising S-500 air defense missile system is at the development stage. It’s planned to be deployed in 2017,” a Russian ministry official was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

The long-range system will be able to destroy targets even if they are in space and cover the whole Russian territory, the official added.

Russia is developing more and more effective missile defense systems for use as a deterrent while opposing plans by the United States to build a missile defense shield in Europe.

Russia says its most advanced anti-aircraft and anti-missile system currently in use, the S-400 Triumph, has a range of 400 kilometers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last year that Russia’s armed forces would acquire around 28 S-400s over the following decade.

Russia has declined to cancel hugely controversial contracts to supply Syria with four of its powerful S-300 air defense missile systems, a deal that has sparked international concern.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Izvestia pro-Kremlin daily on Monday that all Syria’s contracts with Russia were being fulfilled.