RUSSIA TO DELIVER S-300 AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS TO KAZAKHSTAN

RIA Novosti
December 8, 2010
MOSCOW

Russia will soon sign a contract on the supply of S-300 air defense
systems to Kazakhstan, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

“The sides are working on a relevant contract at present,” spokeswoman
Irina Kovalchuk told journalists after a meeting between Russian
Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and his Kazakh counterpart Adylbek
Dzhaksybekov.

Kazakhstan signed an agreement with Russia to purchase 40 S-300PS
(NATO designation SA-10D Grumble) air defense missile systems in
March 2009, with deliveries to take place from 2009 to 2011.

The S-300PS model was introduced in the Russian Armed Forces in 1985.

It features 5V55R missiles which increased the maximum engagement
range to 90 kilometers (56 miles) and a terminal semi-active radar
homing (SARH) guidance mode.

Russia has announced plans to expand military-technical cooperation
with members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
and set up an integrated air defense network with them.

The CSTO is a post-Soviet security grouping comprising Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

The Kazakh military believe that S-300 systems would “significantly
enhance the protection of the country’s airspace.”

From: A. Papazian