WeaponSpecs

Documents

Air defense system Russia flagRussia

Almaz-Antey

S-400 Triumf

Russia's long-range, multi-layered surface-to-air missile system capable of engaging aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles with a family of interceptors of differing range. It has been exported to China, India and Turkey, drawing sanctions from the United States over the Turkish purchase.

In service since 2007 · 4 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01

400

km range

30,000

m altitude

36

targets

600

km radar

Several performance figures for Russia-origin systems are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification. Treat these specs as directional, not tested values.

💲 ≈ $500,000,000, Approximate cost per battalion set, export estimate

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Russian state channel

Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.

Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)

Fielded & proven

Established · 4 operators

In service since 2007. Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

$1.3B – $1.8B

Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~25 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Overview

The S-400 Triumf is Russia's flagship long-range surface-to-air missile system, built by Almaz-Antey and marketed as a layered shield able to engage aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic threats at ranges its makers claim reach up to 400km with the longest-range missiles. It combines several interceptor types with powerful phased-array radars, and its advertised performance has made it a centrepiece of Russian anti-access strategy, though many of its stated figures are difficult to verify independently.

Beyond Russia, the S-400 has been exported to China and India, and Turkey's 2019 purchase triggered a serious rupture with NATO and its removal from the F-35 programme under US sanctions pressure.

In the war against Ukraine, the S-400 has been used for area air defence, but several launchers and radars have been documented as destroyed by Ukrainian strikes, including ATACMS and drone attacks in occupied Crimea. Those losses have dented the system's reputation for near-invulnerability and prompted debate about how well its claimed capabilities hold up against a determined, technologically assisted opponent.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
Max speed (Mach)

Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.

14 Mach
Top 6% of air-defense systems
Engagement range

Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace.

400 km
Top 6% of air-defense systems
Engagement altitude

Maximum target altitude the system can reach.

30,000 m
Stronger than 82% of air-defense systems
Simultaneous targets

Number of targets the system can engage at once. Higher resists saturation attacks.

36
Top 5% of air-defense systems

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Main armament

Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.

48N6, 9M96E/E2, 40N6E interceptor family
Warhead

Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.

180 kg
Top 3% of air-defense systems
Warhead type

Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.

Fragmentation
Guidance

How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.

Semi-active radar homing, Active radar homing (40N6), Inertial + datalink

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors & avionics specifications
Radar

Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.

91N6E Big Bird acquisition radar
Radar range

Published detection range against a typical fighter-sized target. Higher sees first.

600 km
Top 10% of air-defense systems
Datalink

Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.

Baikal-1M command post network

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Unit cost

Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.

$500,000,000
Stronger than 18% of air-defense systems
Operator countries

Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.

4
Stronger than 66% of air-defense systems

Specifications compiled from public Almaz-Antey and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.

Compare with rivals

See how it stacks up

Head-to-head comparisons

S-400 Triumf vs

Frequently asked questions

What is the engagement range of the Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf? +

The Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf has a maximum engagement range of 400 km.

What is the main armament of the Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf? +

The Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf's primary weapon is the 48N6, 9M96E/E2, 40N6E interceptor family.

What is the Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf used for? +

The Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf is a air defense system typically used for air defense.

How many countries operate the Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf? +

The Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf is operated by 4 countries.

How much does the Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf cost? +

The Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf has an approximate unit cost of 500,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.

Similar systems

Related coverage

S-400 Triumf in the news

THAAD interceptor missile launching during a 2005 flight test Article

industry · Aug 12, 2026

Patriot Stocks Fell 65%, Rebuild Takes 42 Months

CSIS estimates Patriot interceptor stocks fell 65% during the Iran war. The Army's new $58.6B contract still takes 42 months to deliver one.

A raised NASAMS missile canister launcher with six launch tubes, attended by two Norwegian soldiers in a snow-covered field Article

guide · Aug 4, 2026

What 'Simultaneous Targets' Means on a SAM Spec Sheet

NASAMS claims 72 simultaneous targets, twice the S-400's 36, despite a 16th of its range. Across 41 systems, the number tracks radar architecture, not range.

David's Sling air-defense interceptor during a test launch Article

industry · Aug 1, 2026

Radar Range vs. Engagement Range in Air Defense

44 air-defense systems publish both a radar range and an engagement range. The gap spans 10x to a reversed 0.3x, showing which batteries fight alone.

Akash surface-to-air missile launching during a test at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha, June 18, 2014 News

technology · Jul 26, 2026

India Test-Fires Kusha, Its Homegrown Rival to the S-400

DRDO's maiden flight test of the Kusha interceptor hit a simulated target July 23, India's bid to end reliance on imported systems like the S-400.

MIM-104 Patriot missile launcher with four ready guided missiles on public display News

conflict · Jul 20, 2026

Russia's largest Kyiv barrage since 2022 met by 400-drone Moscow hit

Russia fired 41 missiles and 125 drones at Kyiv overnight, its largest barrage since 2022; within a day Ukraine hit Moscow with 400+ drones.

A MIM-104 Patriot launcher, the US Army's primary mobile air-and-missile-defense system. Article

guide · Jul 16, 2026

The 10 Best Ballistic Missile Defense Systems 2026

A 10-to-1 countdown of the best ballistic missile defense systems of 2026, ranked on real intercept record, envelope, export scale and maturity.

Iron Dome air-defense battery, Israel Article

industry · Jul 14, 2026

Why Air-Defense Cost Figures Don't Compare

Only 12 of 70 air-defense systems in the database publish a cost, and those figures price different things: single rounds vs whole batteries.

NATO leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pose for the official family photo at the Presidential Palace in Ankara during the 2026 NATO summit Article

industry · Jul 9, 2026

NATO's Ankara Summit: What Wasn't Signed

NATO's Ankara declaration pledged unity and 70 billion euros a year for Ukraine. Four other headline deals from the summit were never signed.

The Patriot PAC-3, a U.S. air-defense system. Article

buying · Jul 3, 2026

Patriot vs S-400 vs SAMP/T: Air-Defense Buyer's Guide

Patriot vs S-400 vs SAMP/T: Patriot suits US-aligned buyers, S-400 fits sanctions-tolerant states, SAMP/T is Europe's sovereign option.

S-400 Triumf long-range surface-to-air missile system on its transporter erector launcher News

digest · Apr 1, 2026

March 2026 in defense: Iran war escalates, NATO hits 2% for all 32

Iran's largest missile-drone barrage of the war, a $20B Anduril counter-drone vehicle, Golden Dome's $185B baseline, and NATO's full-alliance 2% milestone define a month of escalation and spending.

US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Delbert D. Black firing a Tomahawk cruise missile News

digest · Mar 1, 2026

February 2026: The month the Iran war began

A US-Israeli strike campaign on Iran, an Afghanistan-Pakistan border war, and a Hormuz blockade defined the month's biggest defense stories, alongside NATO's air-defense warning and a growing Gulf arms show.