MOSCOW, December 7. /TASS/. Russia has executed the first contract for the delivery of the S-400 air defense systems to Turkey and a second deal will depend on Ankara’s decision, head of the Rostec State Corporation Sergei Chemezov said at a briefing on Monday.
According to him, the first S-400 contract with Turkey has been fully executed, all components of the systems have been delivered to Turkey and Russia has received full payment. "The ball is now in Turkey’s court, we are waiting for our partners to make decisions. Rosoboronexport maintains contact with Turkey, discussions on future cooperation are underway. We are also discussing the possibilities of producing components there," Chemezov said.
He pointed out that the S-400 systems involved complex technologies and it was impossible to start producing them from scratch. At the same time, there are prospects for Russian-Turkish defense cooperation in other areas. "It was a unique deal because it was made with a NATO country. We are in talks with our Turkish partners on other equipment as well, the prospects are there," the Rostec CEO noted.
S-400 deal
Moscow signed a contract with Ankara on the delivery of the S-400 systems in 2017. Turkey became the first NATO country to purchase these systems from Russia, drawing a negative reaction from the United States and NATO in general. In particular, Washington said that "Turkey’s decision to purchase Russian S-400 air defense systems renders its continued involvement with the F-35 impossible." The US is also threatening to impose sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of the Russian-made systems.
The S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system that went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range ones, and can also be used against ground objectives. The S-400 system can engage targets at a distance of 400 km and at an altitude of up to 35 km.