DUBAI/United Arab Emirates/, November 17. /TASS/. Russia’s S-400 missile defense system will enter combat duty in Turkey in spring 2020 and now specialists are undergoing training, Head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev told reporters at Dubai Airshow-2019 on Sunday.
"By the end of this year we will complete training of Turkish specialists and by spring the system will enter combat duty. We are doing everything with Turkish partners in line with our plan," Shugayev said. "Turkey as a NATO member-state has set an example for everyone, including for the Arab world," he stressed.
The first reports about the talks between Russia and Turkey on the deliveries of S-400 air defense missile systems emerged in November 2016. Russia confirmed in September 2017 that the $2.5 bln contract had been signed. Under the deal, Ankara will get a regiment set of S-400 air defense missile systems (two battalions). The contract also envisages partial transfer of production technology to the Turkish side. The first deliveries began on July 12, 2019.
The United States and NATO have been seeking to break down the deal. The White House said in mid-July that "Turkey’s decision to purchase Russian S-400 air defense systems renders its continued involvement with the F-35 impossible."
Russia’s S-400 ‘Triumf’ (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the most advanced long-range air defense missile system that went into service in Russia in 2007. It is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and can also be used against ground installations. The S-400 can engage targets at a distance of 400 km and at an altitude of up to 30 km.