Russia Conducts Anti-Cruise Missile Drill on Day of US Attack in Syria

The crews of S-300 and S-400 air defense systems shot down cruise missiles launched by an imaginary enemy during an air defense drill held in Russia’s eastern Buryatia republic, Rossiiskaya Gazeta wrote, citing the Eastern Ministry District press service.

کد خبر: ۶۸۳۰۷۰

تاریخ: ۱۹ فروردين ۱۳۹۶ - ۱۴:۳۴

Sputnik - The cruise missiles were fired by Tu-95MS strategic bombers covered by an escort of Su-30SM fighter jets.

"On the closing day of the exercise, the operators of S-400 and S-300PS air defense systems successfully repelled an attack with multiple cruise missiles,” the EMD press service said in a statement.

A number of ballistic and aerodynamic decoys were also deployed in the imitation attack and were taken out by the crews of S-400, S-300PS and Pantsir-S anti-missile and anti-aircraft systems, the statement added.
The S-400 Triumf is Russia's next-generation air defense system, capable of carrying four different types of missiles able to destroy aerial targets at short, medium, long and very-long ranges between 40 and 400 km.

The weapon is designed to be able to track and destroy all enemy air objects, including airplanes, helicopters, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles flying at speeds of up to 4,800 m per second; they are also capable of targeting ground objectives.

Designed by the Almaz/Antei Air Defense Concern, and built by the Fakel Machine-Building Design Bureau, the S-400 were introduced into the Russian military in 2007.

As of 2016, Russia had received 39 divisions, or 312 launchers.

Strangely enough, the drill in Buryatia coincided with Thursday night’s launch by the United States of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian military airfield in Ash Sha’irat, located about 40 kilometers from the city of Homs.
According to Homs Governor Talal Barazi, the attack killed five people and injured seven others.

President Donald Trump said the attack was a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria’s Idlib on Tuesday, which Washington blames on the Syrian government.

Russia described the attack as an aggression against a sovereign state.

Following the US military action, Russia decided to suspend its memorandum of understanding on air safety over Syria with the United States