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Saudi Arabia agrees to buy Russian S-400 air defense system - al-Arabiya TV | Saudi Arabia agrees to buy Russian S-400 air defense system - al-Arabiya TV |
(35 minutes later) | |
Riyadh has agreed to purchase S-400 air defense missile system from Russia, according to Saudi television station al-Arabiya. The deal was reportedly reached on the sidelines of the visit by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Moscow. | |
A memorandum of understanding has been reportedly signed to help the kingdom develop its own defense industries. | |
The Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has already said Riyadh was showing interest in buying Russian missile systems. | |
“There is some interest, of course. Talks on S-400 are in progress, but there are no final decisions yet,” he said today, adding that confidential negotiations on military-technical cooperation were being held. | |
The S-400 is Russia’s most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system and can carry three types of warheads designed to destroy targets including ballistic and cruise missiles. | |
The system is able to track and engage up to 300 targets to an altitude of 27 kilometers at the same time. | |
The deal is a potential coup for Russia. Saudi Arabia has traditionally purchased defense equipment from the United States. | |
In June, the kingdom signed its biggest ever defense contract to buy American Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) defense systems, guided missile frigates, military planes, and howitzers. | |
READ MORE: Russia & Saudi Arabia sign billion dollar deals during King's visit | |
Earlier this year, Turkey signed a deal to buy the S-400 missile system from Russia with deliveries reportedly to start within two years. |