Russia has started shipment of the SA-11 Buk anti-aircraft defense system to an unidentified foreign customer. The Buk air defense sys...
Russia has started shipment of the SA-11 Buk anti-aircraft defense system to an unidentified foreign customer.
The Buk air defense system achieved notoriety after it was found to be used to shoot down the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, over Ukraine in 2014.
Reports indicate the missile is being send to Syria, to bolster protection of Russian fighter jets deployed to Syria. Russia has already deployed the Pantsir air defense system in its Syrian air base.
A press release from rostec.ru says the shipment is in the framework of military-technical cooperation.
CEO of the Yaskin Research and Production Enterprise (START), which manufactures the Buk system, Vladimir Tretyakov said the delivery will be completed in this month, and is part of contract concluded in 2013.
The self-propelled medium range air defense system can engage targets up to a range of 40 km. A battery consisting three launchers each carrying 4 missiles, can engage six aerial targets simultaneously.
Syrian Air Defense Force already operates around 30 M1 and M2 variants of the Buk.
