“The air defense shield is strengthening in the Arctic”: Russia has deployed S-400 systems in Novaya Zemlya

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation deployed S-400 Triumph air defense systems on Novaya Zemlya. This was announced by the head of the press service of the Northern Fleet (SF) of the Russian Navy, captain 1st rank Vadim Serga.

“The anti-aircraft missile regiment of the Northern Fleet's air defense, deployed on the island of South Archipelago Novaya Zemlya, has been completely re-equipped with new S-400 air defense systems,” RIA Novosti reports.

The transition to new systems will significantly increase the airspace control zone in the Arctic, said Serga. According to him, the personnel of the regiment has already undergone retraining for new systems and is prepared to carry out combat duty. Previously, it was equipped with S-300 systems.

The press service also added that the S-400s are successfully operating in the Far North and the Arctic, in particular, the systems are in service with the forces of the Northern Fleet in the Kola Arctic.

Protection of interests in the Arctic

Russia decided to renew its air defense fleet in the Far North for a number of reasons, said Vladimir Mukhin, a military observer for Nezavisimaya Gazeta, RT. In particular, the country is developing economic activity in the Arctic, and for successful implementation of projects in the region it is necessary to ensure their military protection, the expert said.

In Russia, they are actively working on the development of the northern territories. In early September, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak announced that the government was discussing tax incentives to attract potential investors to the Arctic.

“We see enormous potential, especially concerning the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Taimyr region, here we can talk about such numbers as production from 50 to 80 million tons (oil. - RT ), loading of the Northern Sea Route, of course, also attracting new technologies to this region, ”said Novak.

The defense of the Northern Sea Route is also one of the reasons for the deployment of the S-400 in the Arctic, Mukhin believes.

“The Northern Sea Route began to function actively. This is a trade route along which not only Russian vessels pass, but also ships from other countries. And this is also a security issue. Therefore, the S-400 is a completely justified step, ”the expert adds.

Recall that the Northern Sea Route is the shortest sea route between the European part of Russia and the Far Eastern region. During a speech at the plenary session of the V International Arctic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the need to make it “safe and profitable for shippers,” since by 2025 it is planned to increase the volume of cargo transportation along this route to 80 million tons.

The delivery of new systems to the region is justified militarily, since today the Arctic is a "rivalry field of great powers," said Igor Korotchenko, military expert and editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, in an interview with RT. According to him, recently military activity of Great Britain and the USA has been noticeable in the region, in particular, American and British multi-purpose submarines with Tomahawk missiles are deployed on a permanent basis in the Arctic Ocean.

“The Arctic is the corridor through which, in the event of a military conflict, various weapons can strike at us. In this regard, as part of the creation of a unified aerospace defense system, our air defense shield is being strengthened in the Arctic. An important feature of the S-400 is the ability to defeat carriers of precision weapons, primarily strategic and tactical aircraft, as well as jamming aircraft, ”says the expert.

In his opinion, with the inclusion of the Buk-M3 medium-range air defense system in the Northern Fleet, which will soon arrive there, Russia will be able to cover "not only the Northern Fleet and our bases in the Arctic and the Russian Arctic sector as a whole from possible air attacks."

Attitude to the S-400 in the world

Earlier, Assistant Chief of Staff of the British Air Force, Julian Ball, called the Russian air defense system in a series of “threats” to which the UK needs to prepare an answer. Russia's new weapons, such as the S-400, the Bastion-P coastal missile system, and the Iskander tactical missile system, cast doubt on the UK’s ability to respond quickly to changing situations, the official says Janes 360.

We add that, according to Western analysts, all of these weapons systems play an important role in the new concept of the Russian Armed Forces, called A2 / AD in the West (the strategy of restricting and denying access and maneuver). Its essence is to block the penetration of the enemy into a certain territory.

It is worth noting that the S-400 is successfully exported abroad. On September 15, the second stage of complex deliveries to Turkey was successfully completed under a contract signed in 2017. The systems are planned to be deployed in the country by April 2020. In early September, the Russian government also announced the delivery of S-400 to India. According to the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Yuri Borisov, they will go to the republic within 18-19 months.

The first buyer of Russian systems was China. The contract for the purchase of systems was signed in 2014, the supply of China's first regiment of anti-aircraft missile systems was completed in the spring of 2018. In addition, the S-400 are in service with Belarus.