Anti-ballistic missiles

The Chinese and Russian militaries will next month hold anti-missile drills in Beijing, China's Defence Ministry said on Friday, amid concern in both countries about the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system in South Korea.

Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles has been completed but Ankara is discussing a further deal with a European consortium to help it develop its own missile defence system, Defence Minister Nurettin Canikli said.

Sweden announced on Nov. 7 it has chosen the US Patriot missile defense system over that of a Franco-Italian rival, in an estimated one billion-euro deal.

Turkey could seek a deal to acquire a missile defense system with another country if Russia does not agree to joint production of a defense shield, its foreign minister was quoted as saying on Monday, quoted by Reuters. 

Russia and Saudi Arabia have agreed on delivering Russia's S-400 air defense missile systems to Saud Arabia.

Russia and Turkey on Friday signed an agreement which has Ankara make a down payment on an advanced anti-missile air defense system.

 Turkey had previously indicated that it was interested in buying the Russian S-400 anti-missile air defense system to boost its air defense stature.

Russia has received an advance payment from Turkey for S-400 surface-to-air missile systems which Ankara is buying from Moscow, Kremlin aide Vladimir Kozhin said on Friday, the TASS news agency reported.
He also said, according to TASS, that Turkey would like to take delivery of the missile system before 2019. “The issue is under discussion,” Kozhin was quoted as saying.

US officials have reportedly said that Iran's claim it tested a ballistic missile over the weekend that could reach Israel was a lie, and a video of the launch was in fact recycled footage of a previous missile test, The Times of Israel writes.

Iran has tested its home-grown air defence system, designed to match the Russian S-300, the head of the Revolutionary Guards' air defense has said.

"In parallel with the deployment of the S-300, work on Bavar-373 system is underway," Farzad Esmaili told state broadcaster IRIB late Sept. 2.

The Japanese defense ministry has asked for a record high budget for 2018 to improve Japan's defense against the growing threat from North Korea, the Associated Press and the France press reported.

The request is for 5,255 billion yen (about USD 48 billion or EUR 40 billion), which means an increase of 2.54 percent. The budget for the past year was 5,125 billion yen.