Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Turkey may use Russian S-300 systems to build missile shield

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Turkey may use Russian S-300 systems to build missile shield

    AZG Armenian Daily #084, 03/05/2008

    International

    TURKEY MAY USE RUSSIAN S-300 SYSTEMS TO BUILD MISSILE SHIELD

    ANKARA, April 30 (RIA Novosti) - Turkey is planning to build its own
    ong-range missile defense network by 2010 and may choose Russian-made
    S-300 air defense systems as its main component, a local news agency
    said on Wednesday.

    The Turkish missile shield would include at least eight anti-missile
    batteries meant to protect strategic targets from theater-range
    ballistic missiles. The project includes an initial off-the-shelf
    procurement of 4 batteries in a tender that will be announced in the
    near future, the ANKA news agency said.

    According to ANKA, the four candidates are Russia's S-300,
    U.S. Patriot PAC-3, Chinese FT-2000 and Israeli Arrow air defense
    systems, all capable of destroying tactical ballistic missiles.Turkey
    has already launched preliminary talks with the United States, Russia,
    Israel and China regarding its plans to purchase its first missile
    defense systems, worth over $1 billion.

    "Russian [air defense] systems have many advantages over the
    U.S. systems," the agency said. However, another Turkish media source,
    the Turkish Daily News newspaper, said the U.S. Patriot "is seen as
    the strongest candidate for Turkey, given the system's success and
    popularity and the close relationship between Turkey and the U.S."

    The Patriot is the world's only combat-proven tactical ballistic
    missile defense system. It was widely used by U.S. troops during the
    1991 Persian Gulf War.

    Turkish Daily News said, however, that Russia had also offered Turkey
    its latest S-400 air defense systems, which are used to protect the
    skies over Moscow and other strategically important locations in
    central Russia.Turkish officials have not confirmed the media reports.

    Russia's S-400 Triumf is a new air defense missile system developed as
    an upgrade to the S-300 family. It has been designed to intercept and
    destroy airborne targets at a distance of up to 400 kilometers (250
    miles), or twice the range of the MIM-104 Patriot, and 2.5 times that
    of the S-300PMU-2. The system is capable of destroying stealth
    aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles with an effective
    range of up to 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) and a speed of up to 4.8
    kilometers (3 miles) per second.
Working...
X