Russia to Get New Short-Range Air Defense System in 2015

The Russian military will start receiving the new Morfey short-range air defense system in 2015, Deputy Defense Minister Col. Gen. Oleg Ostapenko said on Wednesday.

Morfey, a mobile air defense system with an effective range of five kilometers (three miles), has been in development since 2007.

“I think the first few systems will be put in service sometime in 2015,” Ostapenko, who is a former commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, told reporters in Moscow.

Morfey will complement the Vityaz, S-400 and S-500 air defense systems in a future aerospace defense network able to engage targets at ranges from five to 400 kilometers, and at altitudes from five meters to near space.

The medium-range Vityaz air defense system, which is due to replace the outdated S-300PS system, is still under development, Ostapenko said.

Russia's Aerospace Defense Forces will carry out their first test-firings of the new S-400

Russia's Aerospace Defense Forces will carry out their first test-firings of the new S-400 air defense missile system from August 10-16 at the Ashuluk firing range in Astrakhan Region, Defense Ministry spokesman Lt.Col. Dmitry Zenin said on Saturday.

"The first tactical exercises will take place at the Ashuluk range from August 10-16 involving the force's S-400 systems and also the gun-missile Pantsir C system in live firing," he said.

 The S-400 firings will be carried out by two units from the Dmitrov district near Moscow, he said.

 Four battalions of Russia's Aerospace Forces are currently equipped with S-400, and a fifth will be operational by the end of this year, a senior air force commander said earlier this week.

 S-400 is a highly advanced medium and long-range air defense missile system, capable of engaging a variety of aerial targets from helicopters and cruise missiles to aircraft and medium-range ballistic missiles.

New S-400 Long-Range Missile Ready For Service – Official

A new long-range missile for Russia’s formidable S-400 air defense system will soon enter service, chief-of-staff of Russia’s Air and Missile Defense Command Maj. Gen. Andrei Demin said on Thursday.

“A long-range missile for S-400 has passed all trials and will soon be delivered to air defense units,” Demin told RIA Novosti without specifying the model.

According to experts, it could be the 40N6 variant, which has an active radar homing head and is capable of destroying airborne targets at ranges of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles).

Russia currently has four S-400 regiments - two in the Moscow region, one in the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, and one in the Eastern Military District.

By 2020, Russia is to have 28 S-400 regiments, each comprised of two battalions, mainly in maritime and border areas.

The S-400 Triumf long- to medium-range surface-to-air missile system can effectively engage any aerial target, including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise and ballistic missiles at up to 400 kilometers and an altitude of up to 30 kilometers.