Turkey sends S-400 missile defense systems to Black Sea province for testing

Turkey on Oct. 6 sent its S-400 missile defense systems to the Black Sea province of Sinop for testing. Footage on social media showed the systems being transported. Sources told Bloomberg that the country is planning to conduct a comprehensive test of the S-400 systems next week.

Duvar English

Turkey on Oct. 6 sent its S-400 missile defense systems to the Black Sea province of Sinop for testing.

Sources told Bloomberg that the country is planning to conduct a comprehensive test of the S-400 systems next week.

The air force isn’t activating the batteries, but testing equipment and the personnel are ready at a site in Sinop, the sources said.

A NOTAM to close the airspace for 10 days was also issued for the Sinop Airport.

Footage on social media showed the systems being transported.

Ten British-made Banshee target drones will reportedly be used to test S-400s.

Turkey’s decision to acquire the Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile systems has caused a sharply negative reaction from the United States and NATO as a whole. The U.S. insists that Turkey must give up the Russian air defense systems.

Because Turkey said that it will not give up the S-400 systems, Washington excluded Ankara from the U.S. program of developing the fifth-generation F-35 fighter-bomber.

On Oct. 5, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ankara's purchase of the S-400 systems poses a risk to NATO and can lead to U.S. sanctions.

NATO says Turkey's purchase of S-400 poses a risk to allianceNATO says Turkey's purchase of S-400 poses a risk to alliance
Topics Turkey Turkish Ankara S-400 S-400 missile systems Turkey-Russia relations Turkey-U.S. relations S-400 missile defense systems Sinop