ABU-DHABI, February 18. /TASS/. Russia will supply to China a replacement for the S-400 air defense system missiles instead of those damaged during a storm in the English Channel a year ago, Rostec corporation chief Sergei Chemezov told the media at the IDEX-2019 exhibition in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

"The contract had been signed a long time ago. The shipment would’ve been carried by now, but regrettably the ship that was carrying the missiles was hit by a storm. We were forced to eliminate all those missiles to make new ones instead," Chemezov said.

A regimental set of the S-400 systems was sent to China by three ships. The federal service for military-technical cooperation said in January 2018 one of the ships was hit by a strong storm in the English Channel and the equipment it was carrying was damaged. The transport ship had to return to the port of departure for examination of the cargo. At the beginning of last April the two other ships with the main part of the regimental set of S-400 systems arrived in China.

The signing of the contract with China for the supply of the S-400 systems was announced in November 2014. In November 2015, Russian presidential adviser for military-technical cooperation Vladimir Kozhin confirmed the conclusion of the contract. In June 2016, Chemezov said the Chinese military would have the S-400 no earlier than 2018. China became the first foreign customer of this air defense system.

The S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name SA-21 Growler) is a Russian long and medium range air defense missile system. It is meant for hitting attack and reconnaissance aircraft (including stealth aircraft) and any other air targets amid intensive fire and radio electronic jamming.