Global Security Newswire

Russia intends this year to create an S-400 Triumph air defense interceptor with a maximum flight distance of nearly 250 miles, the commander of the nation's air force said in remarks reported by Interfax on Monday (see GSN, Jan. 30).

"We are at the stage of completing the development of this product. I believe that in 2012 the task will be carried out in full," Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said.

"S-400 is in fact a new system that in addition to the task of air defense also tackles missile defense tasks. It is called S-400 because it is armed with weaponry capable of destroying aerial vehicles with a high degree of accuracy at a range of up to 400 kilometers," he said (Interfax, Feb. 13).