“They will have to decide what costs them more: to lose one or more of these A-50s or to continue to see their combat aircraft and S-400 units progressively degraded,” a Ukrainian expert told Breaking Defense.
By Reuben JohnsonAccording to Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov, the Neptune preformed “flawlessly” during the Aug. 23 attack on a Russian Almaz-Antei S-400 “Triumf” air and missile defense complex.
By Reuben JohnsonWhile a Turkish industry official claimed the country didn’t “need” the Russian systems, experts say a replacement has a little ways to go to catch other operational domestic variants.
By Agnes Helou“No one can definitely say that Turkey wouldn’t buy the second batch,” one Ankara insider said. “But for now, it isn’t on the agenda.”
By Ragip SoyluRussian and Chinese international weapon sales are continuing on a downward trend from last year’s report.
By Justin KatzThe Russian-Belarusian exercise may be over, but its biggest question – what Russian forces stay behind in Belarus – will now be answered.
By Reuben JohnsonIf Saudi Arabia want to send a signal to Washington without really endangering the American-Saudi security relationship, they’ll limit their arms deals with Russia to smaller – or even token – orders of relatively benign equipment.
By Chyrine Mezher“The Saudis might be demonstrating that they can go to other sources and solutions for air defense through building on the worsening of US-Turkish relations, at the heart of which is US unhappiness over Turkish acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system,” Yezid Sayegh, senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center, says.
By Chyrine Mezher“It’s been a moral hazard to fail to implement CAATSA over the last 18 months, but better late than never,” said Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
By Paul McLeary“The Trump Administration has made it clear that they’ll put lethal weaponry in just about anyone’s hands without regard to potential loss of life so long as the check clears,” Rep. Eliot Engel says.
By Paul McLearyEarlier this month, two senators — a Republican and Democrat — wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling on the administration to sanction Turkey after the S-400’s radar was turned on.
By Paul McLearyThe first signs of dissatisfaction with the Russian air defense systems came on May 1 when the Syria Direct website ran a story quoting what was described as a Syrian military source who criticized the S-300 air defense systems supplied by Russia.
By Arie EgoziMoscow is making sure no one forgets the role it has played in the Middle East, while Beijing searches for inroads in a region President Trump has pledged to leave.
By Paul McLearyIt has become increasingly apparent that Turkey has operated against U.S. interests in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean. It hindered American military operations against ISIS in Syria, set back progress in the long-running Cypriot peace negotiations in 2014 and 2017, and purchased Russia’s S-400 air defense system.
By Charles Wald