Russia did not specify which ten countries showed interest in the air defense system. But at least one close partner of Moscow may put the S-400 into service in the near future.
S-400: foreign countries are lining up
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union exported military equipment extensively around the world, and today Russia remains the second largest arms exporter in the world after the United States. This is of concern to the US military, as a number of foreign governments have become interested in advanced Russian platforms, including the S-400 Triumph medium- and long-range air defense system.
"A dozen countries are showing keen interest," Dmitry Shugaev, director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, said in an interview with the RBC media group on Tuesday.
Shugaev called the procedure for signing a contract for the purchase of S-400 a complex and multi-stage process.
The S-400 (NATO classification: SA-21 Growler or "Growler") is a mobile anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) developed in the late 1990s by the Russian Central Naval Design Bureau Almaz to replace the S-300 family. China became the first foreign buyer, besides Saudi Arabia and India showed interest in the platform. Turkey's attempts to acquire this platform at the end of 2017 led to its exclusion from the F-35 fighter program.
Now a number of other countries around the world have shown interest in the S-400. However, there are still problems that Russia and potential buyers will have to solve - for example, the conditions and details of deliveries and the capacities available to the Russian industry to fulfill a defense order. Therefore, it is too early to talk about signing a contract.
"Thus, ten applications are not ten countries that are already ready to sign a contract," Shugaev summed up.
Russia did not specify which ten countries showed interest in the air defense system, but at least one close partner of Moscow may put the S-400 into service in the near future. The head of the defense department said that he sees no obstacles to the potential supply of air defense systems to Belarus.
Demand for other weapons
According to Shugaev, not only the S-400 air defense system is popular with foreign buyers. In an interview, he noted that foreign buyers are also attracted by the Pantsir-S missile and cannon complexes, which have proven their effectiveness in destroying unmanned aerial vehicles.
In conclusion, he replied that the increased demand for Russian air defense systems and electronic warfare (EW) means suggests that the method of warfare has changed.
"We see that the era of drones and robots has come. The more UAVs and robotic systems are used - and aerial drones, for example, are used everywhere today - the more there is a need for weapons of destruction and electronic suppression."
Peter Suciu
