An S-400 "Triumf" antiaircraft missile system. © Kirill Kallinikov / Sputnik
CNBC: Russia is luring international arms buyers with a missile system that costs much less than models made by American companies
* Russia’s S-400, a mobile long-range surface-to-air missile system, costs approximately $500 million, whereas a Patriot Pac-2 battery costs $1 billion and a THAAD battery rings in at about $3 billion, according to people with first-hand knowledge of a U.S. intelligence assessment.
* Lockheed Martin makes the THAAD, or terminal high altitude area defense, system, while Raytheon makes the Patriot system.
* Nearly 13 countries have expressed interest in buying Russia’s S-400, a move that could trigger potential U.S. sanctions
WASHINGTON — The Russian S-400 missile system costs a fraction of rival platforms made by U.S. companies, one of the major reasons several countries are interested in dealing with the Kremlin despite the potential for blowback.
Russia’s S-400, a mobile long-range surface-to-air missile system, costs approximately $500 million, whereas a Patriot Pac-2 battery costs $1 billion and a THAAD battery rings in at about $3 billion, according to people with first-hand knowledge of a U.S. intelligence assessment.
Lockheed Martin makes the THAAD, or terminal high altitude area defense, system, while Raytheon makes the Patriot system.
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Update: Russia Lures International Arms Buyers With Half-Priced, More Effective Missile System (Zero Hedge)
WNU Editor: Even with the threat of U.S. sanctions, there are still 13 major countries that want to buy the system. It looks like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon may need to re-examine their product and its costs.