S-400 air defense system ready for use if needed: Defense minister

ANKARA

The Russian-made S-400 missile defense system is ready to operate and will be utilized if the country is threatened, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Nov. 22.

“We have no problems with the S-400 [systems],” he said addressing the parliament’s planning and the budget committee late on Nov. 22.

Upon the lawmakers’ questions regarding the S-400 defense systems, Akar said Türkiye first requested Patriot and SAMP-T for the supply of long-range region, air and missile defense systems, but purchased S-400 systems when the initial plans were not realized.

“They ask where [the S-400 systems] are. The S-400 is in place and ready for use. It has a transfer time. After that, everything will be ready in an hour. If such a threat develops in any way, we will take it and use it after deciding where our country’s air defense will be,” the minister said.

The contract Türkiye and Russia signed in a deal for the purchase of two batches of S-400s. Türkiye deployed the first batch of the Russian air defense systems in mid-2019, which triggered sanctions from the U.S. It was excluded from the F-35 joint fighter program, and five aircraft Türkiye has paid for have not been delivered. The Russian system can harm the NATO alliance through its ability to detect detailed information about F-35 jets, the U.S. claims.

In a separate statement late on Nov. 22, the minister elaborated on the recent state of Türkiye’s operation into Syria and Iraq.

The Operation Claw-Sword into northern Syria and northern Iraq continues with air and ground strikes, the minister said adding that a total of 471 targets were hit so far, while 254 “terrorists were neutralized,” the defense minister said.

“The operation continues with punishing strikes carried out by air and ground fire support vehicles,” Akar said visiting the operation center of the Land Forces.