Turkey to receive Russian S-400 missiles in July 2019
Turkey and Russia have agreed to bring forward to July 2019 the delivery of S-400 air defence missile systems to Ankara, a Turkish official said, in a purchase that has raised eyebrows among NATO allies.
Ismail Demir, Turkish Defence Industries Undersecretary, wrote on Twitter late on 3 April: ‘We brought forward the delivery date in the contract signed with Russia for the acquisition of S-400 systems and got an earlier date of July 2019.’
His announcement came after Russian President Vladimir Putin held several hours of meeting with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
At the press conference, Putin said he and Erdogan had decided to ‘speed up’ the delivery of the S-400 air defence missile systems to Ankara, without providing a precise date.
Russian officials had said in December 2017 that the first deliveries in the $2 billion deal were likely to begin at the end of 2019 or beginning of 2020.
Putin and Erdogan have forged an increasingly close alliance in recent months, from burgeoning energy ties to holding talks to end the Syria crisis.
In a sign of the importance of the partnership, Putin's visit to Turkey is his first trip abroad since he won a historic fourth presidential mandate in 18 March polls.
Erdogan said on 3 April that Turkey was in no mood to listen to criticism from the West over the purchase of the S-400 systems, saying ‘this issue is now closed’.
According to Russian press reports, Turkey has been interested in a technology transfer and even joint production of the S-400 with Russia, a prospect that has been resisted by some in the Moscow security services.
Putin refused to discuss the issue saying ‘these are exclusively commercial questions’ rather than political ones.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
CV90 revels in northern exposure while looking for new customers (updated April 2025)
The BAE Systems Hägglunds’ CV90 IFV has been around for decades but continual refreshing to maintain power and relevance, along with a healthy market at home in Sweden and neighbouring countries, has led to more than 1,700 vehicle orders with 10 countries.
-
Oshkosh notches JLTV win with Dutch order
The order further extends the Oshkosh Defense production line as AM General, selected for US orders, pushes to get vehicles out the door with no room for export orders.
-
Dronebuster product line and production capability expanded
DZYNE Technologies, the maker of Dronebuster counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) devices, has announced plans to expand production and released details on a new version of the system. This follows the release of an all-in-one kit system earlier this year.
-
Ireland plans for radar capability in 2026
The Irish Government has previously outlined ambitious plans, the furthest reach of these being the possible purchase of fighter aircraft to provide a capability the country’s defence force currently doesn’t have. A more advanced procurement effort for a primary radar is being fast tracked.
-
US Army LTAMDS enters production phase
LTAMDS was approved in multiple flight trials and assessments.