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Russian Aerospace Forces get another S-400 missile regiment for Moscow defence - ministry

Another two S-400 regimental sets were in 2015 transferred to the military districts’ antiaircraft defence formations, the Defence Ministry said

MOSCOW, January 4. /TASS/. Russia’s Aerospace Forces have received another regimental set of the S-400 Triumph air defence missile system that will cover Moscow and the Central Industrial District, the Russian Defence Ministry press service told reporters on Monday.

"A new regimental set of the S-400 Triumph air defence missile system has arrived by train at the place of permanent deployment in the Moscow region from the Kapustin Yar range in the Astrakhan region where system’s live fire exercise was held," the ministry said.

"With the new system’s putting on combat duty the Aerospace Defence Forces’ antiaircraft defence formation will have four air defence missile regiments equipped with the state-of-the-art S-400 Triumph missile systems ensuring air defence of Moscow and the Central Industrial District," the press service said.

Another two S-400 regimental sets were in 2015 transferred to the military districts’ antiaircraft defence formations, the Defence Ministry said.

According to early December reports, the number of regiments equipped with the S-400 systems increased by 11 by late 2015. Five more sets of the air defence missile system are expected to be delivered in 2016, thus bringing the number of Russian army’s regiments with the Triumph system up to 16.

The S-400 Triumph (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) was developed as an upgrade of the S-300 series of surface-to-air missile systems. The system entered service in April 2007 and the first S-400 was deployed in combat in August 2007. Russia set up four S-400 regiments defending national airspace in the Moscow region, the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, and the Eastern Military District. The S-400, manufactured by Almaz-Antey, is capable of targeting up to 36 airplanes at a range of 150 kilometres. The S-400 has the ability to not only shoot down airplanes, but also ballistic missiles. The system is designed to destroy all modern and advanced aerospace targets at a distance of up to 400 kilometers (248.5 miles).