S-400. FILE IMAGE: Dmitry Vinogradov/RIA Novosty
Saudi Arabia has agreed to buy Russian S-400 air defense missile system, the Saudi television station al-Arabiya reported on Thursday.
State-owned Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) added that the sides also signed a memorandum of understanding on the issue that would help Riyadh to develop its defense industries. The report came amid a visit by Saudi King Salman to Russia.
According to SAMI, the memorandum is signed in the context of contracts to procure the S-400, the Kornet-EM system, the TOS-1A, the AGS-30 and the Kalashnikov AK-103.
The procurement was “based on the assurance of the Russian party to transfer the technology and localize the manufacturing and sustainment of these armament systems in the Kingdom”. No additional info about timeframe or the number of each system was provided.
The S-400 is an advanced Russian long-range anti-aircraft missile system. It can carry 3 types of warheads designed to destroy various targets including ballistic and cruise missiles.
