BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

24/08/2007

Belarus wants S-400s by 2010

MOSCOW, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- Belarus is seeking to buy Russia's new S-400 air defense system, even though Moscow says it won't export it yet.

RIA Novosti reported Friday that Belarus, the poor former Soviet republic west of Russia now run by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, is pushing to get the advanced S-400 Triumf air defense system -- NATO designation SA-21 Growler -- within two and a half years. RIA Novosti cited "a source in Russian military-industrial circles" for the report.

The S-400 Triumf is claimed by Russia to have a far greater range and effective interception altitude than the U.S. Patriot PAC-3 system. It was designed by the Almaz Central Design Bureau as an upgrade of the S-300.

"Belarus submitted a formal request for two S-400 battalions to be made available by 2010," the source told RIA Novosti. He said that if the deal went through, Belarus could receive the systems by 2010.

The report was published a day after RIA Novosti cited a Russian military official as ruling out any exports of the S-400 even to Moscow's closest allies such as Belarus in the Commonwealth of Independent States. Russian officials have said it will take until 2015 to equip a full 24 battalions with the S-400. The first battalion became operational outside Moscow this month.

Almaz has signaled it is eager to begin exporting the system. RIA Novosti noted that Almaz General Director Igor Ashurbeili had previously said the export of S-400 systems could begin as early as 2009.

The S-400 is claimed to be able to intercept stealth aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles with a range of 2,200 miles and speeds of nearly 11,000 miles per hour.

RIA Novosti noted that an S-400 battalion is designed to have a minimum of eight launchers and 32 missiles and a mobile command post.

Source:

http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Industry/Briefing/2007/08/24/belarus_wants_s400s_by_2010/3902/