Formerly known as the S300 PMU3, the S 400 Triumf is a mobile surface-to-air missile system (SAM) developed in the 1990s by Russia’s Almaz Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering. On April 28, 2007, the S400 was put into service, and on August 6, the 1st Division of the latest anti-aircraft missile system was put into combat. China became the first foreign buyer to sign a government contract with Russia in 2014. India, Saudi Arabia, Belarus and Turkey have since acquired or shown interest in the system. In 2017, The Economist described the S400 as one of the best air defense systems in production today.
Highlights
Development work on the S400 system began in the last years of the Cold War in the late 1980s. In January 1993, the first announcement of the S400 system was made by the Russian Air Force. The first successful test was carried out in the year 1999, and deployment for the Russian army was planned for the year 2001.
Dr. Alexander Lemansky was the lead engineer on the project. However, in the year 2003 it became clear that the missile system was not ready for deployment, and as a result, a new design system was introduced. In February 2004 completion of the project was announced and in April the ballistic missile was successfully intercepted during testing of the upgraded 48N6DM missile. In the year 2007, this system was given approval for usage and has been in use ever since.
Technical Details
The S400 missile system is equipped with an integrated multi-function radar with automatic detection and guidance system. It also consists of anti-aircraft missile launchers and control and command missiles. For multi-layered protection, the following missiles can be fired which are
- 9M96E2: A variant of the 9M96E medium-range missile, fired for a direct hit. Both versions of the 9M96 missile have a length of 102 km.
- 48N6DM: Can hit aerial targets up to 250 km.
- 9M96E: This missile can engage moving targets such as fighters with high precision.
- 40N6: Assumes a range of 400km. Guided radar for intercepting air targets at long distances.
This system can also exchange data with other security systems such as SA23, SA12 and S300. The radar can track and detect rotorcraft, aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, guided missiles and ballistic missiles up to 600 km away. 300 targets can be tracked by it simultaneously.
India?s deal for S-400 missile system
At the BRICS summit in the year 2016, India and Russia signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IPA) for the supply of five S400 regiments. The deal, worth $5.43 billion was officially signed in the year 2018, excluding the threat of US sanctions. US threatened India with sanctions over India’s decision to purchase the missile system from Russia instead of the American Patriot PAC 3.
Last Modified: February 13, 2024