The Russian military will receive 144 S-350 ‘Vityaz’ air defense systems by 2027, even as training has just commenced with their first system delivered in December.
Almaz Antey will deliver 12 S-350s batteries, each consisting of 12 missile systems. Each S-350 battalion could include 3 multi-functional radar stations and a combat command and control post. In addition, automated reconnaissance and target acquisition systems and combat vehicles of the Pantsyr-S anti-aircraft missile/gun systems can also be assigned to the battalion, TASS reported citing the defense ministry.
The Russian troops began learning how to operate the S-350 system recently. “The Russian Aerospace Force has taken the delivery of the first advanced S-350 anti-aircraft system. The troops at Northwestern Russia’s Gatchina training center have started to learn how to operate the system,” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
The training center has already held an exercise to detect and eliminate a notional enemy aircraft using the S-350, the ministry said.
Russia’s Aerospace Force earlier test-fired the S-350 ‘Vityaz’ surface-to-air missile system at a practice range in the southern Astrakhan Region during the system’s acceptance.