Is Russia's S-400 Surface-To-Air Missile System At A Fraction Of The Cost Of U.S. Competitors A Better Missile System?

An S-400 "Triumf" antiaircraft missile system. © Kirill Kallinikov / Sputnik

CNBC: Russia is luring international arms buyers with a missile system that costs much less than models made by American companies

* Russia’s S-400, a mobile long-range surface-to-air missile system, costs approximately $500 million, whereas a Patriot Pac-2 battery costs $1 billion and a THAAD battery rings in at about $3 billion, according to people with first-hand knowledge of a U.S. intelligence assessment.
* Lockheed Martin makes the THAAD, or terminal high altitude area defense, system, while Raytheon makes the Patriot system.
* Nearly 13 countries have expressed interest in buying Russia’s S-400, a move that could trigger potential U.S. sanctions

WASHINGTON — The Russian S-400 missile system costs a fraction of rival platforms made by U.S. companies, one of the major reasons several countries are interested in dealing with the Kremlin despite the potential for blowback.

Russia’s S-400, a mobile long-range surface-to-air missile system, costs approximately $500 million, whereas a Patriot Pac-2 battery costs $1 billion and a THAAD battery rings in at about $3 billion, according to people with first-hand knowledge of a U.S. intelligence assessment.

Lockheed Martin makes the THAAD, or terminal high altitude area defense, system, while Raytheon makes the Patriot system.

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Update: Russia Lures International Arms Buyers With Half-Priced, More Effective Missile System (Zero Hedge)

WNU Editor: Even with the threat of U.S. sanctions, there are still 13 major countries that want to buy the system. It looks like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon may need to re-examine their product and its costs.

Russia's Arms Export Business Is Booming

MiG-29K. © RIA Novosti. Anton Denisov

Russia May Sell $14 Bln Worth Of Weaponry In 2012 -- RIA Novosti

Russia’s arms exports may reach a record $14 billion in 2012, a Russian think-tank said on Friday.

Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport sold $10.7 billion worth of weaponry in 2011 under contracts with 57 countries, but this number could be readjusted to $12 bln with the addition of direct sales of spare parts by Russian arms producers.

“We are expecting Russian arms exports to surpass $14 billion in 2012,” the Center for the Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) said in a report.

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More News On Russian Arms Exports

Russian Arms Exporter Reports $11 Billion In Sales In 2011 -- Radio Free Europe
Russia May Sell $14 Billion Worth of Weaponry in 2012 -- Defpro
Arms Exports Booming -- Moscow Times
Arms exports on rise -- The Province/AFP
Billions at stake as Russia backs Syria -- CNN
Britain, France, US criticise Russian arms sales to Syria -- Business Recorder
Azerbaijan to buy another 32 Russian helicopters -- News.az
Rights Group Criticizes Russia, China for Supplying Sudan with Weapons -- Voice of America
Russia to supply $7.7 billion worth of arms to India -- Russia & India Report
Russian Missile Maker Lost $790 mln over Libya War -- RIA Novosti
Russia loses $4 billion in Libya because of Gaddafi -- Pravda
The Russian Defense Industry - Market Opportunities and Entry Strategies, Analyses and Forecasts to 2016 -- Sacramento Bee/PR Newswire

Russia's Arms Industry Is Booming

Russian Arms Exports Hit Record in 2009 -- Defense News

MOSCOW - The global financial crunch didn't stop Russian defense exports from hitting a record $7.4 billion in 2009, and the prospects remain bright for the next few years, the governmental arms export agency said Jan. 28.

Its 2009 total was up 10 percent from the previous year, and "in 2010, we expect to earn no less," Rosoboronexport head Anatoly Isaikin told reporters here.

Bookings also hit a record high of $34 billion, up $15 billion, Isaikin said.

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More News On Russia's Arms Industry

Russia expects to sell no less than $7.4 bln of arms in 2010 -- RIA Novosti
Russia reports rise in arms exports in 2009 -- Daily Times
Russia's arms exports surge -- Global Times
Russia's arms trader: '10 orders no less than '09 -- Reuters
Arms exports defy recession -- Straits Times
Head of Russian state arms trader says no obstacles to weapons sales to Iran -- Canadian Press
Russia free to sell weapons to Iran - state arms exporter -- Ria Novosti
Rosoboronexport Sees No Obstacles to Iran Arms Deal -- Moscow Times

Russian Arms Exports To Grow By Up To $800 Mln In 2009

From RIA Novosti:

MOSCOW, May 27 (RIA Novosti) - Russian arms exports are expected to increase by $700-$800 mln in 2009 despite the global credit crunch, state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Wednesday.

"Rosoboronexport sells an additional $700-800 million [worth of weaponry] every year. Despite the crisis, 2009 will be no exception," company official Valery Varlamov said.

The arms export monopoly sold $6.75 billion worth of arms in 2008, and earlier said its defense order portfolio was worth $27 billion.

"We could have signed deals worth a total of $50 billion, but we did not do this, and settled for $27 billion. We believe this figure is realistic," the official said.

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My Comment: The key sentence is the following .... "We could have signed deals worth a total of $50 billion".

Russia Begins To Capture New Arab Arms Markets - Envoy

From RIA Novosti:

MOSCOW, February 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is beginning to capture new arms markets of Arab countries that were earlier oriented to the West, the head of the Russian Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation said.

"Russia is beginning to enter new armaments markets where our presence was previously considered as hardly probable. In particular, some Persian Gulf countries, including Qatar and Kuwait, are displaying certain interest in the development of military and technical cooperation," Mikhail Dmitriyev said on the eve of an international defense exhibition opening on Sunday in the United Arab Emirates.

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My Comment: The arms markets are going to be hot in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa for many years to come. The Russians weapon platforms are just as reliable as most other countries .... and also a bit cheaper.