Russia to train 100 Chinese service personnel for operating S-400

Russian news agency TASS reported 5 March that around 100 Chinese military service personnel are due to undergo an instruction course in Russia in March-June for operating the S-400 Triumf (NATO codename: SA-21 Growler) air defence system.

They will be trained to operate China’s second regiment of this system, to be handed over to China in the second half of the year, a military-diplomatic source told TASS.

The source said, “About 100 military servicemen from the People’s Liberation Army of China will undergo instruction at a Russian training centre in the operation and combat uses of the second regimental set of the S-400 system, to be provided to China in the second half of the year.”

China is the first foreign customer of the S-400 Triumf, with Turkey expected to become the second later this year.

S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler)

Type: Surface-to-air missile (SAM)

Designer: Almaz-Antey

Manufacturer: Fakel Machine-Building Design Bureau

Country of Origin: Russia

In Service: 2007-present

Operators: Russia, China

Operational Range: 150 km (48N6E missile); 200 km (48N6E2 missile); 40 km (9M96E missile); 120 km (9M96E2 missile); 400 km (9M83M/9M82M missile)