Russia begins production of Turkey’s S-400 air defense systems

Russia’s Rosoboronexport General Director Alexander Miheyev said that Moscow had started to produce the S-400 missile defense systems purchased by Ankara. Last December, Turkey announced that it had concluded an agreement with Russia for the purchase of two S-400 systems by early 2020.

“Production has started. Everything has been discussed, and we will fulfill our responsibilities. We have started to actualize the agreement,” said Miheyev.

Rosoboronexport is the sole state intermediary agency for Russia's exports/imports of defense-related and dual use products, technologies and services.

Ankara will pay $2.5 billion for the deal, according to the Head of Rostec Corporation Sergey Chemezov.

The S-400 is Russia's most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system with a capacity of carrying three types of missiles that are capable of destroying targets, including ballistic and cruise missiles.

The system can track and engage up to 300 targets at a time and has an altitude ceiling of 27 kilometers (17 miles).