S 400 Triumf News

Russia's Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Director Dmitry Shugayev said on Wednesday that Turkey had initiated talks for buying the Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-57 fighters as the F-35 was no longer within its reach following the US sanction over S-400 Triumf air defence missile system.

S-400 Triumf is currently the most advanced long-range Surface-to-Air-Missile system in the world which can track targets 600 kilometres away and hit them at a range of 400 kms at an altitude of even 30 kms. The S-400 can engage targets independently as well as connect with other radars to receive data from them.

Apart from the Russian Air Force, the Sukhoi Su-35 is in service with China's  People's Liberation Army Air Force. Indonesia, too, has ordered 11 Su-35 jets. An earlier report in Russian media had claimed that Turkey was also eyeing the Sukhoi Su-57 and Chinese Shenyang J-31 5th Generation fighters in lieu of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft.

The Sukhoi Su-35 is a multi-purpose, super-manoeuvrable fighter. Russian defence experts claim the Su-35 outscores all the 4 and 4+ Generation fighters currently flying and even incorporates several 5th Generation characteristics. Turkey's pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak had in early June 2019 reported that the country may opt for either Su-57 or Shenyang J-31, both 5th Generation jets, if the USA decided against the F-35 deal.

The S-400 Triumf missile system is the fourth generation of long-range Russian Surface-to-Air-Missiles (SAMs) and capable of tracking targets 600 kilometres aways and targeting them at a range of 400 kms. The S-400 can engage targets independently as well as after receiving data from other radars.

The US has maintained that the S-400 Triumf missiles and F-35 cannot be based in close proximity as the Russian system will be able to map the unique stealth characteristics of the 5th Generation stealth jet. "Turkey cannot field a Russian intelligence collection platform in proximity to where the F-35 program makes repairs and houses F-35s," the US Department of Defense said.

According to Russia's Southern Military District press office, the Su-24M fighters were scrambled on Wednesday to thwart an attack by the enemy in the Volgograd region during a military exercise. As part of the wargame, the Russian forces are also using the S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems, which has been bought by India too.

While two ships carrying a regimental set of the S-400 systems was received by China in April, one ship was hit by a strong storm in January 2018. 

Under the CAATSA, India is subject to sanctions now that it has entered into an agreement with Russia to purchase S-400 Triumf missile defense system.  

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharam, too, had in July 2018 said that India will go ahead with the S-400 missile deal with Russia despite reservations expressed by the United States of America.

CAATSA waiver though general in nature is intended at preventing US sanctions on India, which is planning to buy five S-400 Triumf air defence systems for around USD 4.5 billion from Russia.