China has on Thursday, successfully tested Russian S-400 air missile defence system, which recently India too signed-up despite of concerns over threats from the United States sanctions.
According to news reports, it was the very time any defence system testes by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) since it has received last shipments of the Russian weaponry under a USD 3 million contract which was signed in 2015, in July.
Chinese People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force had last month tested the Russian S-400 Triumf air defence system successfully with shooting down a “stimulated ballistic target” about 250 kilometre away with speed of 3 km per second.
However, no further details were disclosed.
Few months ago in October, India had signed a deal of USD 5 billion Russian S-400 air defence system despite of the treats of the US sanctions under the CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) passed by the US congress . India wanted a long-range missile systems to strengthen its air defence mechanism, focused particularly along 3488 km long Sino-India range.
Beijing-based military expert Li Jie that reports suggested that Moscow wanted to underline the relationship when the US was at loggerhead with China and Russia.
Expert said, “Despite pressure from the US, the Russian military will increase its cooperation with the PLA in areas such as missiles, shipbuilding and other sectors.”
Hong Kong-based military expert Song Zhongping said, “But it’s also clear that the PLA’s Rocket Force is proficient in using the S-400 air defence system because they are already familiar with its predecessor, the S-300, which China has used since the ’90s.”
He further said, “Hypersonic weapons boast features such as manoeuvrability – gliding, for example – and they are almost impossible to intercept because they are travelling at such high speed