MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/. Russia’s advanced S-400 medium-to-long-range surface-to-air missile system engineered by the Almaz-Antey defense manufacturer can evoke the interest of military specialists from Saudi Arabia by its high performance characteristics, Company CEO Yan Novikov said on Monday.
"We expect Saudi Arabia to make an objective choice after assessing high qualities of this anti-aircraft missile system [S-400] and other items that we make," the chief executive said in an interview with the National Defense magazine on the occasion of the company’s 20th anniversary.
Saudi Arabia is traditionally the largest importer of American weapons, including air defense and non-strategic anti-ballistic missile defense systems. The Saudi armed forces lack similar Soviet and Russian weapons. Saudi specialists received additional significant information on Russian military hardware at the World Defense Show held in Riyadh in March. Almaz-Antey took part in that forum, Novikov explained.
Russia’s S-400 ‘Triumf’ (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the latest long- and medium-range surface-to-air missile system that went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons and can also be used against ground installations. The S-400 can engage targets at a distance of up to 400 km and at an altitude of up to 30 km under intensive enemy fire and jamming.