Sputnik quoted Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler as saying that the US had refused to sell F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye for many years, on the condition that Türkiye abandon the Russian-made S-400 air defense system. However, Washington recently changed its position and no longer objected.
According to Mr. Guler, this change came after the US realized that Türkiye had the ability to develop its own stealth fighter TAI Kaan, a product of the Turkish Aerospace Industries Corporation.
Mr. Guler confirmed that Türkiye's S-400 air defense system is operational and can be deployed within 12 hours upon command.
The S-400 Triumph, produced by the Russian defense corporation Almaz-Antey, is a long-range surface-to-air missile system that has been in service since 2007. The system is capable of destroying enemy aircraft and missiles at a distance of 400km and an altitude of 30km.
Türkiye signed a contract to purchase the S-400 in 2017, but is not the first country to acquire the system.
China signed a contract to buy the S-400 from Russia in 2014. With India, the deal was signed in 2018.
Algeria joined the S-400 club in 2021 with a multi-billion dollar deal. Meanwhile, Belarus received two S-400 systems for free from Russia in 2016.
Currently, at least 13 countries, including Qatar, Egypt, Morocco and Iraq, are said to be interested in or in discussions with Russia to buy the S-400.
The S-400 is designed to detect, track, and destroy a wide range of aerial targets, including aircraft, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and even stealth aircraft. The system not only protects important areas but also enhances airspace control in modern warfare situations.
The system can track 300 targets at the same time and attack 36 targets simultaneously, helping to increase air defense effectiveness in coordinated attacks.
The S-400 can attack targets at altitudes from 10m to 30km, suitable for both threats from low-flying aircraft and ballistic missiles.
Thanks to the use of multi-mode radar and modern command system, S-400 is capable of attacking targets with outstanding accuracy, even in environments with electronic jamming.
