Turkey on Monday, 15th July 2019 received another S-400 Air Defense System from Russia. The ninth Russian plane carrying components of the advanced S-400 air defense system landed in Turkey on Monday.
The delivery of the Russian defense systems saw several Antonov-124s and land at the Mürted Airbase outside the capital of Ankara.
According to Russian media outlet; TASS news, the first delivery of the S-400 to Turkey began on Friday, 12th July 2019. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed of S-400 acquisition and added that the delivery of the advanced air defense system will be completed by April 2020.
- S-400, designed with capabilities to shoot down aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles including medium-range missile it can also target ground systems.
- The S-400 can intercept targets at a distance of 400 km and at an altitude of up to 60 km and its radars can detect aerial targets at a distance of up to 600 kilometers.
- The system’s surface-to-air missiles can strike targets at altitudes of 10,000-27,000 meters and ballistic threats at altitudes of 2,000-25,000 meters.
Turkey has already sent over 100 Turkish troops to
Russia to undergo training on the system and Erdogan said that the number may
be increased ten-fold in the coming days.
The U.S. has strongly called on Turkey to back off from the
deal, warning that it could face economic sanctions under the Countering
America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act and be removed from the F-35 fighter
project.
