S-400 air defense systems to be put on combat duty in Russia's Novosibirsk Air Defense Unit in 2016 - commander
YEKATERINBURG. Jan 30 (Interfax) - The Novosibirsk Air Defense Unit in Russia's Central Military District was supplied with S-400 Triumph air defense systems at the end of last year and is preparing to put them on combat duty, Central Military District Commander Vladimir Zarudnitsky said at a news briefing on Saturday.
"The anti-aircraft crews have passed training at a specialized training center and will be put on combat duty in early March," Zarudnitsky said.
The garrisons belonging to the Central Military District will receive over 1,200 items of modern and modernized weapons and military and special hardware in 2016, he said.
Missile garrisons stationed in the Sverdlovsk region will be supplied with Iskander-M systems, which should replace Tochka-U systems. The 201st Military Base deployed in Tajikistan will also be provided with about 100 BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, he said.
In addition, about 100 modernized T-72 and B-3 tanks will be supplied to a heavy motorized infantry unit stationed in the Southern Urals area, he said.