Russia, Kazakhstan to set up joint air defense network

S-300

15:58 08/12/2010

© RIA Novosti. Yury Shipilov

Russia and Kazakhstan have agreed to create a joint regional air defense network, chief of Kazakh air defenses Lt. Gen. Alexander Sorokin said on Wednesday. "We have agreed to create a joint regional air defense network, which is similar to that of Russia and Belarus," Sorokin said, adding that the Kazakh Air Force would be responsible for defending Russian airspace along the border with Kazakhstan.
"The creation of this network envisions free-of-charge deliveries of Russian S-300 air defense systems to Kazakhstan," the general said.
Kazakhstan currently has an undisclosed number of an earlier version of S-300 inherited from the Soviet Union.
"Kazakhstan is also interested in buying Russia's advanced S-400 Triumf air defense systems, but we understand that the Russian Army should get these systems on a priority basis," Sorokin said.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that S-300 systems would be delivered to Kazakhstan in line with a previous agreement, but said a delivery contract was still in the works.
Russia also offered Kazakhstan to join its missile early warning and space monitoring network, and use Russia's Glonass satellite global positioning network for military purposes.
MOSCOW, December 8 (RIA Novosti)

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