Russia's S-400 long range missile ready for test firings

Russia's Aerospace Defense Forces will carry out their first test-firings of the new S-400 air defense missile system in the period between August 10 and16, Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Col. Dmitry Zenin said on Saturday. "The first tactical exercises will take place at the Ashuluk range from August 10-16 involving the force's S-400 systems and also the gun-missile Pantsir C system in live firing," he said. The S-400 firings will be carried out by two units from the Dmitrov district near Moscow, he said. Four battalions of Russia's Aerospace Forces are currently equipped with S-400, and a fifth will be operational by the end of this year, a senior air force commander said earlier this week, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported. S-400 is a highly advanced medium and long-range air defense missile system, capable of engaging a variety of aerial targets from helicopters and cruise missiles to aircraft and medium-range ballistic missiles. According to experts, it could be the 40N6 variant, which has an active radar homing head and is capable of destroying airborne targets at ranges of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles).