OREANDA-NEWS. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), headquartered in Washington, has published an interesting material about the efforts of USA military partners in buying Russian anti-aircraft systems S-400 Triumph.

The four largest Asian partners of the United States in military and technical cooperation: India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, have achieved different results.

Turkey is leading. Ankara began to interest in Russian weapons in 2009, 7 years later the officials in Moscow and Ankara announced progress in military and technical cooperation. In the summer of 2017, Turkey agreed to pay Russia 2.5 billion dollars for S-400, the agreement was signed in December. In 2018, the production of equipment began, in the summer of 2019 the Russian aerospace forces delivered Triumphs to the air base near Ankara. In response to the purchase of Russian weapons, the USA expelled Turkey from the F-35 fifth-generation fighter program, and other sanctions were promised.

India began negotiations on S-400 in 2015. A year later, the quantity and price became known: five regiments for 5.5 billion dollars. In the summer of 2018, the purchase of Triumphs was announced, a contract was signed in October. In September 2019, the Russian government announced the receipt of an advance from New Delhi.

In August 2017, the Minister of Defense of Qatar spoke about his country’s interest in powerful air defense systems, including S-400. A year later, Russian media announced that the negotiations had advanced. In 2019, the Qatar Foreign Ministry confirmed that the dialogue continues and the Russian Foreign Ministry will consider the proposals when they will be received.

In October 2017, the Saudi press announced the agreement on the purchase the Triumphs concluded during King Salman bin AbdulAziz Al Saud’s visit to Moscow. A few months later, the kingdom’s ambassador to Russia told that both sides are clarifying the latest details of the deal. In February 2019, the negotiations were ongoing, but the terms of the transaction remain extremely difficult.

The joint operation of Russian anti-aircraft systems S-400 and American fighter F-35 threatens the security of the United States and its allies. FDD resumes that Russia is trying to sell Triumphs to divide the United States and its partners.