FILE IMAGE: Vitaliy Nevar/TASS
The Russian state-run news agency TASS reports (source):
Two sea vessels have delivered the first regimental set of S-400 Triumf long-range anti-aircraft missile systems to China. The missing equipment that had been earlier damaged while being shipped by a third vessel will be sent to the customer in the summer, a military-diplomatic source told TASS.
“Two vessels have delivered the first regimental set of S-400s from the port of Ust-Lug, Leningrad Region, to China within the time limit established by the contract. It includes a command post, radar stations, launching stations, energy equipment and other property. It lacks the equipment that was onboard the third vessel,” the source said.
“The work continues, and the missing equipment is expected to be delivered to the customer in the summer,” the source specified.
In January, the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation reported that after a storm in the English Channel the third vessel returned to the port of shipment for inspection of the support equipment and assessment of the damage under the specified insurance event.
The Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation declined to comment on the information provided by the source.
The contract with China
In November 2014 it emerged that Russia signed a contract with China to deliver S-400s, and in November 2015 Russian Presidential Aide for Military-Technical Cooperation Vladimir Kozhin confirmed the signing of the contract. China became the first foreign client for these anti-aircraft systems. In June 2016, Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov reported that the Chinese army would receive the systems not earlier than in 2018.
The S-400 Triumf is a Russian long-and mid-range anti-aircraft missile system designed to hit attack and reconnaissance aircraft (including aerial vehicles based on stealth technology) and any other air targets under conditions of intensive enemy fire and electronic countermeasures.
Anyone not expecting the Chinese to reverse engineer this and mass produce their own version raise their arms?
(…..zero arms being raised…..)
I thought so.
It’s still worth it for both parties to buy/sell as much as they can in the short run as China is afraid they may get attacked before they finish reverse engineering and building their own factories.
I doubt that the Americans would actually attack the Chinese mainland. Despite Neocon bluster there’s still a difference between attacking some, as Trump calls it, 3rd world shithole, vs. a nuclear armed great power. With the former consequences only come in the form of harsh language, with the latter in the form of a nuclear armed ICBM.
what reverse engineer ? the russian knew about this and yet they sell S400 to nations that may someday give them to USA.. the russkies took precaution and the electronics will be blackbox and any attempt to reverse engineer will destroy the circuits and erase the missile intercept software..
the physical rocket design can be reverse engineered but without intercept software it is pointless
Even if its only partly as good as the Russian versions it will still compete on the international market. Even Apple and Samsung face competition from cheaper less capable Chinese smart phones. Because to many cheap is a quality of its own.
yes , china will reverse engineer the physical missile design and put in Chinese missile intercept software and sell it cheaply to 3rd world nations..
the best part of this scheme ? even a chinese clone of S400 with 50% less efficiency can still destroy western aircraft easily.. and cheaply.. considering the hyper expensive western aircraft and their pilots..
This can’t reverse engineered as its very very complex software electronics, and even if they try it will take many many years and by than Russia bring out S900! plus the export model is slightly different to the ones Russian use same as their fighter jets
The physical component can be easily reverse engineered.. the software component unlikely to be cloned.. so china might create the same missiles as the S400 but they would have to use chinese made softrware..
Rocket engine are far more simpler to made than jet engines
Not really. The metallurgy involved is complex and involves a range of technologies. Hence the inability of the US to consistently manufacture reliable high output rocket engines
US can manufacture reliable rocket engine , but it is too expensive compared to russian engines .. law of economics , why bother making expensive one use rocket engine if one can buy cheaply from other nation ?
and remember this affect all US manufacturing , including weapons manufacturing .. everything is expensive as hell and sure less efficient than russian or chinese weapons .. cost wise..
This is much more likely a political transaction than a defence acquisition. This is to show Pentagon and NATO the bonds between Russia and China are deeper than BRICS economic ties. China could and will easily figure out similar defence systems if they feel the need to.
Not always though. They have attempted to reverse engineer a former Pakistan Air Force F-16, to no result. And so far they seem unable to develop their own high powered jet engines.
The very fact that the Chinese attempted to “reverse engineer” that F16 proves that they were not committed at all. The US spends Trillions of dollars in research and development with multiple highly intellectualised agencies and facilities working together to perfect the terrorist equipment that the Pentagon can launch on third world countries.
China is too busy enforcing their idiotically ridiculous Bolshevik/communist/Marxist dictatorship on the population to effectively compete against the US in the military/terrorist arena.
This does not invalidate my original statement
They don’t need to compete in the ‘Lets trash some 3rd World country’ rat race. They can compete however with Russia in the international arms sale market, by offering a cheaper knockoff. And that is what I tried to say.
Not that I directly disagree with you, just that I’m of the opinion that China can develop cheap knockoffs on their own without reverse engineering :-) Here is quite an interesting discussion on this S-400 and Chinese capabilities subject. Check out comment by Paul Krupa. https://www.quora.com/Can-the-Russian-S-400-shoot-down-a-US-F-22-F-35-or-B-2
Well, that’s why they bought those.
Does it matter nowadays ?.
It might matter if Russia wants to sell more S400’s. Both to China and others.
Does not matter as Russia will migrate to the S500. They have a history of keeping the most effective/recent version for the Russian military.
The Chinese are very capable in many areas…they may actual discover improvements for the system and sell it back to the Russians…all good for both of them…
They already have joint science and military co-operation agreements in place.
“In January, the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation reported that after a storm in the English Channel the third vessel returned to the port of shipment for inspection of the support equipment and assessment of the damage under the specified insurance event.” The CIA stole this critical piece at it’s closest point to the UK. Obviously the spooks left the ship with the component in the English channel . The 3rd ship did not return to port for an ‘insurance inspection’. It returned to port to replace the stolen component. The US has already reverse engineered the component with Israel’s support and developed the capability to jam and beat Russia’s best and brightest. Winning!
You are not very smart. I am sure you know that already.
That is the best you can do? Is your English really that bad? How about responding with something that disputes even one of my facts.
how about some proof of your fantasy?
“In January, the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation reported that after a storm in the English Channel the third vessel returned to the port of shipment for inspection of the support equipment and assessment of the damage under the specified insurance event.”
If you believe the Russian ship carrying top secret equipment was forced to return to it’s Russian port of origin for an insurance inspection of the top secret equipment, then my work is done here because serious discussion with an idiot is not possible. On the other hand if you believe flying the insurance inspector to China may have been every sane man’s choice then there is still hope for you. Naturally damaged missile systems must be repairable in the field. Leaving the only logical reason to return to port was to replace the top secret equipment missing/stolen from Russian cargo ship 3.
No proof…no sources. Gibberish.
First, S-400 is not “top secret” equipment. Second, if it got damaged in transit it is logical that such system could not be delivered in damaged condition. While for the most people this would be an obvious reason to return, in your fantasy world you have different explanation. Again, seek help, you need it.
Why would such top secret components spend a week on a ship instead of 3 hours by military cargo jet? .
Time for you to seek professional help and stop confusing fantasies and fact.
I’m baffled by these purchases. Yes, I understand arms purchases are intimately linked to geopolitics. IIRC, the Chinese already have a similar system. The only thing that I can think of, is if the SCO have decided to use the S-400 for the protection of Eurasia. Then each nation would have their own layer of air defence (i.e. S-500 for Russia and whatever equivalent for China).
The missile system pushes the threat further from the coastline of China and the borders of other nations. They are creating a missile rich environment that would be hard to penetrate without great loss.