Article Posted on : - Sep 12, 2013

A video grab of Russian S-350E Vityaz air defence system. Photo: Russia Today.

MOSCOW (BNS): Russian Army will be receiving the new S-350E Vityaz air defence system from Almaz-Antei in 2016.

The Vityaz air defence system is expected to replace the S-300 systems and was unveiled during the recent MAKS 2013 airshow in Moscow, according to a news report by RIA Novosti.

"We are planning to complete testing in 2014, start production in 2015 and begin deliveries by 2016," Vitaly Neskorodov, Genereal Director of the company, was quoted as saying in the news report.

The S-350E Vityaz is a new mobile ground-to-air defense system. It will have a more advanced radar and a launcher with 16 missiles compared to only four on the S-300.

The Vityaz air defence system will engage targets at ranges from five 5-400 kilometers, with a firing altitude of five meters to near space.