NOVOSIBIRSK, March 1. /TASS/. The S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile defense systems have been put on combat duty in Russia’s Novosibirsk region. Six S-400 units have been activated under the order given on Tuesday by Acting Commander of the 14th Air Force and Air Defense Army, Major General Vladimir Korytkov.
"The anti-aircraft missile regiment of the Novosibirsk air defense formation received the S-400 Triumph systems at the end of 2015. Crews of the Novosibirsk formation of the Central Military District’s Aerospace Forces have successfully completed the training course for the new weapons systems and had field firing practice at a range in the Astrakhan region, Southern Russia. The S-400 missile system crews took up combat duty today. The S-400 will replace the S-300PT Favorit systems," Korytkov said.
The Central Military District’s press service said that positions have been equipped and camouflaged for the new missile systems. "It’s a remarkable date. The S-400 systems’ putting on combat duty boosts the potential and power of this regiment and the whole Russian army. We are certain that the new air defense systems will successfully fulfil the tasks of covering strategically important facilities in Western Siberia," the official said.
The S-400 Triumph (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the newest long-range antiaircraft missile system that went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and can also be used against ground objectives. The S-400 can engage targets at a distance of 400 km and at an altitude of up to 30 km.
As of the end of 2015, a total of 11 Russian missile regiments were armed with these systems, and by the end of 2016 their number should increase to 16.