Moscow: The Army air defence of the Land Forces of Russia will be additionally equipped this year with the advanced, fourth modification of the S-300V anti-aircraft missile system, spokesman for the Land Forces Colonel Sergei Vlasov told Itar-Tass on Thursday.
"Within the development of air defence weapons of the Land Forces this year it is planned to complete the modernisation of the C-300V system to the S-300V4 level," he said.
"The state contract on the supply of new anti-aircraft missiles of the S-300V4 systems has also been signed." "The range of the heavy missiles` firing is over 300 kilometres," Vlasov said.
In late March, he recalled, tactical exercises of the Naro-Fominsk antiaircraft missile brigade were conducted at the Kapustin Yar ranged in the Astrakhan region.
During the weapons training exercise the S-300V upgraded anti-aircraft missile systems confirmed their high performance, hitting air targets.
The S-300V (Army), in contrast to the S-300 conventional medium-range missile system, was specially developed for RF Land Forces and its launcher is installed on tracked transporters.
A major difference of the S-300V from the "parallel" system is that it has not one but two types of anti-aircraft guided missiles. One is used for hitting aerodynamic targets at ranges of up to 75 kilometres.
Another missile of the "ground- to-ground" class can hit ballistic targets, as well as all types of aircraft with speeds of up to 3,000 metres per second at a range of up to 100 kilometres.
The S-300V system is carried on tracked MT-T transporters, which gives it better cross-country mobility than even the S-300Ps on 8x8 wheeled transporters.
The performance characteristics of the S-300V4 exceed 1.5-2.3 times the capacity of the preceding, third modification of the system.
In the firing range and other parameters it is close to the S-400 "Triumph" characteristics owing to the introduction of new components, hardware and computing facilities.

PTI