Air Defense: Kazakhstan Defends The Corner Of No And Where

Archives

February 24, 2009: Russia is selling Kazakhstan 40 refurbished S-300 surface-to-air missile launchers, and, presumably, the four S-300 missiles that normally go with each launcher. The launcher is mounted on a semi-trailer truck. Each 7 meter long missile, with its sealed container, weighs about a ton. Kazakhstan borders Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and China. So where does the air threat come from? Nowhere, actually. This deal is a feel-good measure that also provides Russia some protection from a long shot Chinese air attack via Kazak air space.

Russia is in the process of buying up to 200 S-400 surface-to-air missile launchers (each with four missiles) over the next six years. It is phasing out the older S-300 and S-200 systems. This would mean deploying at least 18 S-400 battalions in the next six years, and perhaps more than twenty. The S-400 is sometimes described as an improved version of the S-300. Basically, it is. This is how Russia prefers to develop weapons, making incremental improvements on a basic design, and doing so for decades if the system continues to be successful.

Roughly equivalent to the U.S. Patriot, the Russian built S-300 was known as the SA-10 to NATO, when the system first appeared in the early 1980s. S-300 missiles weigh 1.8 tons each and are 26 feet long and about 20 inches in diameter. The missiles have a range of some 200 kilometers and can hit targets as high as 100,000 feet. The missile has a 320 pound warhead.

Price was not mentioned, but since Russia trying to interest Kazakhstan in joining a closer military organization, similar to NATO, but led by Russia, it's doubtful that the Kazakhs are paying much. Probably a few hundred thousand dollars per launcher (with missiles) if that. Every four or so launchers has a radar vehicle and trucks with maintenance and repair equipment.

 

 

X

ad

Help Keep Us From Drying Up

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling.

Each month we count on your contribute. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
Subscribe   contribute   Close