Turkey works to create its own version of S-400 anti-aircraft weapon system

Over the next few years, Turkey will develop its own analogue of the Russian S-400 Triumf air defense system, the Turkish daily Milliyet said citing a statement from Ismail Demir, the head of the country's defense industry.

According to the official, Turkey has HİSAR A+ and HİSAR O+ air defense systems with a range of up to 20 kilometers.

"We will create an air defense complex with a range of up to 100 kilometers. After that, we will enhance these indicators in the SİPER system. We are gradually moving to create an analogue to the S-400,” the official said.

According to experts interviewed by the publication, Turkey wants more than the S-400 complexes purchased from Russia.

"We bought the S-400 to defend ourselves against both aerial targets flying from afar and against ballistic missiles. We need to build a ballistic missile interceptor system at the expense of national resources and locally,” a Turkish analyst told the publication.

In August 2020, Alexander Mikheev, the head of Russia's defense export giant Rosoboronexport, said during the Army-2020 forum that Russia and Turkey signed a contract for the supply of the second regiment of S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile systems.

The S-400 Triumf is an anti-aircraft weapon system developed in the 1990s by Russia's Almaz Central Design Bureau. The system comes as an upgrade of the S-300 family. It has been in service with the Russian Armed Forces since 2007. It is international recognised as one of the best and most advanced air defense systems.