Russian anti-aircraft missile system S-400 Triumph on combat duty; China Military Chief to visit US
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  • Russia has placed the second regiment on a permanent combat alert for operating its newest Russian anti-aircraft missile system S-400 Triumph. In 2007, the first regiment equipped with the S-400 system was placed on permanent combat alert in the town of Elektrostal, Moscow. The Russian Defence Ministry also have plans to re-equip all the air defence regiments for operating the S-400 missile complexes by 2020.The system is designed to incapacitate the electronic countermeasures aircraft, radar surveillance and guidance planes, other types of aircraft, tactical and medium-range ballistic missiles, hypersonic objects and other prospective air assault vehicles. The S-400 Triumph system is capable of destroying the aircraft based on Stealth technologies, small-size cruise missiles and combat blocks flying at a speed of up to 4.8 kilometers per second at distances of up to 400 kilometers.1

    In a significant development, the U.S is looking forward to the Chinese Military Chief’s week-long visit to the country to forge a defense dialogue with Beijing despite tensions and mutual distrust. People's Liberation Army (PLA) Chief of General Staff Chen Bingde starts a week-long visit on May 15 to the United States, the first trip to America by the country's top-ranking officer in seven years. Military relations between the nations have been strained and lagged behind diplomatic and trade ties, with Beijing objecting to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan while Washington has voiced concern about China's military buildup. The last U.S. visit by a senior leader from the PLA was in 2009, when Gen. Xu Caihou came to Washington and toured military bases. Chen's visit comes after the United States said on May 11 that it wanted to set guidelines with Beijing on the use of space, voicing worries that the Asian power is increasingly able to destroy or jam satellites.2

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