USA imposes sanctions on Turkey over S-400 Air Defence Missile System

USA imposes sanctions on Turkey over S-400 Air Defence Missile System

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations & GS-III – Defence and Security

In news

• The United States has imposed sanctions on Turkey on Monday over its acquisition of Russian S-400 air defence systems.

Key takeaways

• The S-400 Triumf is a mobile, surface-to-air missile system (SAM) designed by Russia.
• It is the most dangerous operationally deployed modern long-range SAM (MLR SAM) in the world, considered much ahead of the US-developed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD).
• The system can engage all types of aerial targets including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles – UAV, ballistic and cruise missiles – within the range of 400km, at an altitude of up to 30km. 
• The system can track 100 airborne targets and engage six of them simultaneously.
• The defence system integrates multifunction radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and command and control centre.
•  It is capable of firing three types of missiles to create a layered defence.