Russia to test S400 missile next week : Air Defence Chief

Moscow, July 5 (UNI) Russia today said it will conduct the first tests of its new S-400 Triumf Air Defence Missile System next week, prior to its induction into the Air Force.

''The first serial S-400 complex will be tested next week. It has been transported to a testing ground together with crews,'' Lieutenant General Alexander Gorkov told RIA Novosti news agency.

The first S-400 system, which would be put on combat duty near Moscow shortly after the test, would feature missiles with enhanced technical characteristics to sharply increase the combat capabilities of air defence around the Russian capital, Lt Gen Gorkov added.

The S-400 (NATO code name SA-21 Growler) is a new air defence missile system developed by the Almaz Central Design Bureau as an upgrade to the S-300 family.

It has been designed to intercept and destroy airborne targets at a distance of up to 400 kilometres (twice the range of the US MIM-104 Patriot).

The Lieutenant General further said that Russia had planned to deploy new air defence systems primarily around all strategically important administrative and political centres in two stages by 2015.

During the second stage, starting in 2010, Russia would add modernised versions of the S-400 with enhanced characteristics, in comparison to the current model.

UNI