MOSCOW, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Defense Ministry had received a new regiment set of the advanced S-400 Triumph air defense missile systems ahead of schedule, Russia's Almaz-Antey arms manufacturer said Monday.
The delivery ceremony was held at the Kapustin Yar training range in the Astrakhan region in southern Russia, according to the company's press service.
In compliance with the Defense Ministry's requirements, the systems were tested by engaging real air targets during their delivery, which were "performed successfully," the company was quoted as saying by Tass news agency.
The S-400 air defense missile system, designed and manufactured by Almaz-Antey, is considered the most advanced of its kind in Russia, capable of destroying targets at a distance of up to 400 km and a height of up to 30 km.
A S-400 regiment consists of two battalions (also known as divisions), which in turn are split into two batteries. A battery includes up to 12 transporter erector launchers, a target acquisition and engagement (fire control) radar systems and a command post.
According to the State Armaments Program, the Defense Ministry should receive 56 battalion sets of S-400 systems, the ministry's Zvezda TV channel said in July.
Almaz-Antey said on its website that it had supplied the Defense Ministry with four regiment sets of S-400 systems.
On Monday, Dmitry Shugaev, director of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, said Russia may start shipping its S-400 air defense missile systems to India in 2020.
In July, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Russia will deliver the first batch of S-400 defense system batteries to Turkey in late 2019, which will make the country the first NATO member to acquire the Russian system.
Russia also deployed S-400 systems to protect its air base in Syria.
