Russia on Saturday showed off its sophisticated missile defense system at a parade in Moscow, Voice of America reported (see GSN, April 28).
(May. 11) -
Russia's S-400 missile defense system, shown in 2007, was rolled out during a parade Saturday in Red Square (Alexey Sazonov/Getty Images).
The S-400 missile defense system, which has been in development for about a decade, is more effective than U.S. Patriot air defense technology, said Alexander Pobozhny, a retired vice admiral in the Russian navy. He argued that the system would not tip the military balance between the two nations, as the S-400 is solely a defensive weapon.
Designated by NATO as the SA-21 Growler, the S-400 was a new addition to the Red Square military parade, which resumed last year after a nearly 20-year layoff (see GSN, May 9, 2008).
"Any aggression against our citizens will be met with appropriate resistance, and the future of Russia will be peaceful, successful and happy," Russian President Dimitry Medvedev said to resounding cheers from the 9,000 troops in the parade, which also featured missiles, tanks and other weaponry.
The system is capable of shooting down tactical missiles, cruise missiles, and airplanes at ranges of more than 93 miles and altitudes of nearly 19 miles, according to Russian military expert Alexander Konovalov. The Kremlin deployed the system in 2007 to protect Moscow, but Konovalov said Russia lacks the industrial power to manufacture sufficient units to cover the entire nation (Peter Fedynsky, Voice of America, May 9).
The United States has been worried that Iran might buy the S-400 to protect its nuclear sites from attack, according to the London Telegraph (Adrian Blomfield, London Telegraph, May 9).