Translated material
Olympic "Triumph"
Russian missile defense began to be prepared for the Games in Sochi
It is possible that the latest Russian air and missile defense system, the S-400 Triumph, can be used as part of a European non-strategic missile defense system. This was announced yesterday by the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, Colonel General Alexander Zelin, during the ceremonial entry into combat duty of the first division of new complexes near Elektrostal, Moscow Region.“If there are any instructions and instructions, we will take up and solve this problem,” said the military leader. Russian systems are preferable to American ones in terms of tactical and technical characteristics in the fight against offensive missile weapons. The S-400 can be quickly integrated into the European missile defense system in the theater of military operations. If, of course, the Europeans continue to create such a system, and do not dive under the American anti-missile umbrella that is under construction.
One way or another, Triumph will be sold abroad. As Igor Ashurbeyli, general director of the Almaz NPO named after academician Raspletin, said yesterday, production of the S-400 for export may begin in 2009. In the next two years, the complex will be tested by the troops and, as they say, completed - foreign consumers are more willing to buy weapons and military equipment if they are in service with the manufacturing country.
And the first international test of the permanently ready regiment, which is now armed with the Triumph, will take place during joint exercises of the joint CIS air defense system next year. As Igor Ashurbeyli said yesterday, the S-400 will become the basis for the creation of a fifth-generation aerospace defense system. The system itself has a safety margin, that is, a service life of at least 25-30 years. To celebrate, Mr. Ashurbeyli, as a businessman, joked: the appearance of the S-400 “will affect the real estate market in the safest area of the Moscow region - Vostochny.”
It is quite possible that the new anti-aircraft missile system will be brought closer to the resort city of Sochi, which is preparing for the 2014 Winter Olympics. “The builders will prepare and build the city of Sochi for the Olympics, and we will prepare the air defense system, which should ensure the reliable holding of the Olympic Games,” Air Force Commander-in-Chief Alexander Zelin said yesterday. It turns out that the general has already reported to the Minister of Defense on this matter, and in the near future the main headquarters of the Air Force will begin preparing regulatory documents “to solve this problem.”
Air defense specialists have no doubt that the new product will cope with the task of protecting Sochi. The S-400 can simultaneously operate on 12 targets, has the ability to influence hypersonic targets, and its range is comparable to the flight range of MiG-29 fighters. Despite the openness demonstrated by S-400 manufacturers and the military, they have not yet said everything. The main characteristics of the system will be revealed at the traditional aerospace show in Zhukovsky MAKS-2007.
By the way, not only the Russian Air Force is preparing for the Olympics. At the end of last week, another commander-in-chief of the Navy, Admiral Vladimir Masorin, also expressed the desire of sailors to ensure the safety of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Introducing the new commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Alexander Kletskov, to the officers, the commander-in-chief admonished him with the words: “The fleet must guarantee that this event will be carried out from the sea. We need to start thinking about this now. For this, the Black Sea Fleet has every opportunity now and in the future.” The admiral did not rule out the temporary relocation to the Black Sea of the only Russian aircraft-carrying ship, Admiral Kuznetsov.