From:
slider@anashram.com
The first regimental set of the Russian-made advanced air-defense system
known as the S-400 has arrived in China, a military-diplomatic source told Russia's official news agency Tass this week.
China became the first foreign buyer of the S-400 when it signed a
contract in late 2014, and the first two ships carrying S-400 components
from Russia arrived in China at the beginning of April.
http://uk.businessinsider.com/china-has-russian-s-400-air-defense-system-2018-5?r=US&IR=T
According to the Tass report, cited by The Diplomat, a third and final
ship carrying support equipment arrived this month.
"The ship has brought the equipment not damaged during a December storm in
the English Channel and the damaged equipment after repairs," the source
said, referring to what a Russian military spokeswoman described as
secondary components that were returned to Russia after the storm.
The arrival of all three ships brings a full regimental set of the S-400
system to China, including command centers, launchers, guided missiles,
and power-supply equipment. Russian personnel are to start handing the equipment over to China at the end of May — a process expected to take two months, according to Tass.
An S-400 regiment consists of two battalions, and each battalion, also
referred to as a division, has two batteries, according to The Diplomat. A standard battery has four transporter erector launchers — each with four launch tubes — as well as fire-control radar systems and a command module.
Some reports indicate that China purchased four to six S-400 regimental
sets, though the Tass report said Beijing is only getting two.
China is only one of several foreign buyers. Turkey, India, and Saudi
Arabia have all reportedly bought the S-400 or are in talks to do so.
While the S-400 has not been used in combat conditions, it has been
heralded as one of the best air-defense systems in the world. The
deployment of a second division to Crimea earlier this year worried US
military officials, who said it could give Russia more coverage of the
Black Sea and was a sign of Moscow's willingness to use force.
In addition to having improved radar, the S-400 can reportedly fire
several new and upgraded missiles with ranges up to 250 miles.
China reportedly has 15 divisions of the S-400's predecessor, the S-300, stationed along the coast of Fujian, a province in the country's southeast overlooking northern Taiwan.
Depending on which missiles China's S-400s are equipped with, batteries in Fujian could reportedly cover all of Taiwan, while batteries placed in
northern Shandong province could reach the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, over
which Japan and China dispute control.
While its eventual armaments are not clear, the S-400 arrives in China at
a time of increased tension in the region.
China has been more hostile toward Taiwan, which claims independence but
China views as its territory, since Taiwan's 2016 election of President
Tsai Ing-wen, who has said she wants peace but Beijing suspects wants
formal independence.
China has stepped up its military exercises around Taiwan over the past
year, including several in April, which were followed by two US Air Force
B-52H Stratofortress bombers patrolling through the area — reportedly
flying within 155 miles of the southern Chinese coast.
### - well russia 'said' it was gonna be expensive (for the west) for
fuckin' with them in syria?
and this looks like 'some' of those likely costs/results??
batteries of s-400's protecting the south china seas 'and' their interests
over taiwan!
yikes ain't nobody gonna be taking liberties with them there without
something 'much-heavier' to back it all up with huh...
jeeze everyone's tooling-up innit!
like maybe they's expectin' summat?
mad fuckers!
tsk, why can't we all just... get along??
lol riiiight....
it ain't called wallyworld for nothing! :D
cavemen!
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: www.darkrealms.ca (1:229/2)