In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly approved in principle the sale of the S-400 air defense system to China. The S-400 (NATO codename SA-21 Growler) is currently Russia’s most advanced air defense platform, and thus far has been reserved exclusively for the Russian military. The S-400 is the successor to the Soviet-era S-300, which has been deployed worldwide in many variations. Although it is a derivative of the S-300, the S-400 represents a significant upgrade in nearly all respects. Should the sale be completed, China would be the first foreign customer to receive the new system. This is by no means certain, since previous weapons sales have been announced but later canceled. Still, if purchased in sufficient numbers, the S-400 would represent a substantial upgrade for China’s integrated air defense system.
Blog Post
— June 30, 2014