Almaz-Antei Concern has delivered another batch of S-400 Triumf air defence systems to the Russian Defence Ministry, with the delivery made ahead of schedule, a company spokesperson has indicated.
“Almaz-Antei’s contractual obligations to the Russian Defence Ministry for 2020 in terms of the delivery of the S-400 Triumf have been fulfilled in full and ahead of schedule. Generally speaking, early fulfillment of a majority of our obligations under the state defence order has long become a good tradition,” the spokesperson said in a release.
At least three regiments’ worth of S-400s were delivered to the military in 2020, with deliveries said to have been made in March, August and September, and the equipment tested at firing ranges under simulated air defence scenarios before being handed over.
As of late September, the Russian military had amassed a total of 552 S-400 launchers, divided into 33 regiments, or 69 battalions. Along with the S-400, Russia’s air defence troops are equipped with at least 125 battalions of S-300s (about 1,500 launchers total), many of them modernized. Next year, the military expects to begin taking deliveries of the next-generation S-500 Prometheus.
For now, the S-400 is the most advanced road mobile air defence system in Russia’s arsenal. Along with Russia, the system is fielded by Belarus, China, and Turkey, with India expecting to begin taking delivery of its S-400s before the end of the year. The United States has threatened to sanction both Turkey and India over their S-400 purchases, but has yet to move forward with these plans.
