China Requests AL-117S Engine And S-400 System From Russia

China has made a request for the purchase of Russian aircraft engines AL-117S and advanced anti-aircraft missile system S-400, writes on Tuesday newspaper "vedomosti", referring to the official MOD and a source close to the "Rosoboronexport.

After the visit of Russian Defense Minister Anatoly serdyukov in China, held two weeks ago, a new package of proposals in the field of Chinese military-technical cooperation has been reached. The Chinese side made a petition for the purchase of aircraft engines 117S (modernised version of the engine AL-31F, designed for the Su-35) and advanced anti-aircraft missile system S-400.

The russian side is ready to hold talks about the 117S purchase. But the export of S-400 systems is only possible after 2017, because of production limits, and because they have to enter service with Russia first.

This year, State by State banks and State guarantee funds the credit building three new factories of AA "Almaz-antei"-a new production plant in St. Petersburg, Obukhiv, new production on the basis of the Nizhniy Novgorod engineering plant in Nizhny Novgorod and plant "Avitek in Kirov. If these plans are implemented, then the order of China may be fullfilled after 2017, said an official of the Ministry of Defense.

On Tuesday in Beijing has 15 meeting of the Russian-Chinese Intergovernmental Commission on military and technical cooperation, which was received by the Minister of defence of the Russian Federation. Serdyukov, together with the Vice-President of the Central Military Council, PRC-Gen. Th Bosûn signed a Protocol defining the future direction of development of relations between the two countries in the military and technical sphere. First of all, it is the implementation of contracts for the supply of spare parts for air defence systems, aviation and naval technology and the development of products for the Chinese side through development.

Russia's second S-400 Missile Unit To Enter In Operational Service

The strategic command of Russia's space defense forces took delivery of its second unit of S-400 Triumf missile systems on Wednesday, which will be based in the Moscow Region, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said.

Until now, the Russian forces have had only one unit of S-400s, based at Electrostal, near Moscow.

"The handover ceremony for the second S-400 will take place at the state firing range in Kapustin Yar from February 16-19," Drik said.

The unit will consist of two regiments, each consisting of eight launch points, each with four missiles.

The S-400 has a maximum range of up to 400 km at an altitude of 40,000-50,000 meters. The system uses a range of missiles, optimized for engaging ballistic and cruise missiles and hypersonic vehicles, Drik said.

After Long Delay S-400 Triumf Finally Get to the Field

The S-400 started its way in 1999 as the  S-300PMU3, developed by  Almaz Science and Production Association. Russian defense officials claimed in 2006 the missile has been inducted in late 2006 and was due to become operational later in 2007. Suffering from teething problems, this milestone has been delayed three years, allowing designers to work on the 'baseline system', awaiting the completion of the full capability version, by early 2010.  Russia plans to buy up to 200 launchers (each with four missiles) by 2015, and phase out the older S-300 and S-200 systems. This would mean deploying at least 18 battalions in the next six years, and perhaps more than twenty.
Triumf, a new air defense missile system based on the heritage of the S-300 is considered one of the world's most advanced SAM, is capable of destroying any air target, manned and unmanned, as well as cruise and ballistic missiles, within a range of 400 kilometers (250 mi) and an altitude up to 30 kilometers. It is capable of intercepting medium range ballistic missiles (fired from distances up to 3,500km). According to  James Dunnigan at Strategy Page, the missile weigh 1.8 tons and is eight meter (26 feet) long and about 50 cm (20 inches) in diameter. The missile can hit targets as high as 100,000 feet. It has a 145 kg (320 pound) warhead. The S-400 system actually has two missiles, one of them being a smaller, shorter range (120 kilometers) one and the other, designed for long range engagement and missile defence.
The S-400 is considered effective against all types of manned and unmanned aerial targets, including 'stealth' aircraft and Early Warning and Control (AWACS) and other electronic support platforms flying hundreds of kilometers from the protected sites. The system is claimed to be three times more effective than its domestic or international counterparts. Since Moscow have added the S-400 to its export portfolio last year, several countries expressed interest in the system, among them Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Gulf countries.
Field transportable, the S-400 Triumf can be rapidly deployed. The system comprises two radars – an area search and target acquisition radar and separate fire control radars. Other elements include the command and control vehicle, communications segment and fire units, carrying four missiles each. The missiles are vertically launched from the launch containers. The S-400 radar, command and control and support vehicles share similar automotive platforms with the S-26 Iskander M while the fire unit employs an independent, eight wheel bed hauled by a 4x4 truck. Unlike its S-300 predecessors, the Triumf is equipped with an active, homing seeker and therefore, can be employed beyond the range of its guidance radar. The target acquisition radar has a range of 700 kilometers.
Russia is also working on a new class of air defense systems, designated S-500. The new system development is expected to be completed by 2012. The missile is designed to intercept primarily medium range missiles - what Russia considers 'a new type of threat'. The S-500 is expected to have an extended range of up to 600 km and simultaneously engage up to 10 targets. The system will be capable of destroying hypersonic and ballistic targets. S-500 will be a successor of the S-300 developed in the 1990s and operate in tandem with the S-400 currently entering service with Russian air defense forces.
 source