Stronger than sanctions: What’s driving countries from Turkey to India to buy Russia’s S-400? – By Shishir Upadhyaya (Russia Today) / Feb 15 2020
The S-400 ‘Triumf’ air defense system is taking the globe by storm. After NATO member Turkey, India is next in line and even Iraq is reportedly interested, despite US threats of sanctioning anyone who buys weapons from Moscow.
At the Lucknow DefExpo 2020 last week, Russian officials confirmed that India will receive its first shipment of S-400s by September 2021. The $5 billion deal signed in 2018 will be moving ahead despite US warnings that such a purchase could trigger sanctions under the CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act), which President Donald Trump signed in August 2017 as part of a wider program aimed against Russia.
Race for the ‘Triumf’
The versatile missile system has been around since 2007, but in recent years emerged as a must-have for any nation with serious military aspirations – and not just traditional buyers of Russian arms. The S-400 is winning out over several other options, including the US Patriot and THAAD systems, which has not made Washington happy.
Saudi Arabia and Iraq are the latest countries which have taken keen interest in the ‘Triumf.’ Riyadh was offered the S-400 following the September 2019 drone attack on the kingdom’s oil fields – apparently carried out by the Houthis from Yemen, although the Saudis have blamed Iran. The strikes revealed the limits of Saudi Arabia’s seemingly sophisticated air-defense systems, based around the US-made Patriot surface-to-air missiles and associated radars.
Clearly, the Patriots didn’t stop the drone attack. Nor was that the first time that Saudi Patriots failed. In March 2018, at least five Patriots apparently missed, misfired or were not operated correctly, when Saudi forces tried to intercept a barrage of rockets targeting Riyadh. However, in deference to US interests, Saudi Arabia is yet to sign a contract with Russia. Instead, Washington has deployed troops and additional air defense systems in the region.
Iraq is reportedly also considering the purchase of S-400s, but is yet to formally begin consultations with Russia.
“There have been no appeals from the Iraqi side about the purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems, but there is interest in them,” said Russian ambassador to Iraq, Maxim Maximov. “We always say that we are ready to continue to assist the Iraqi government in strengthening the country’s defense capabilities.”
Continue to article: https://www.rt.com/op-ed/480899-india-turkey-s400-sanctions/
