The Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said that Turkey to receive Russian-made S-400 self-propelled surface-to-air missile in 2019 as scheduled.

Speaking to TASS news agency on 17 September, Yuri Borisov said that Turkey has not backed out of purchasing Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft missile defense systems despite threats from the US, and Russia will fulfill the contract in 2019.

“I think that Almaz-Antey (which produces the S-400 systems – TASS) won’t have any problems with loading over the next ten years. Our traditional partner and, as you know, NATO member – Turkey – did not back out of this contract, despite all the threats from the United States. [Ankara] will receive its equipment according to schedule, in 2019, in accordance with our contractual obligations,” Borisov specified.

Turkey became the second customer for the S-400s after China. The signing of the contract was officially announced in September 2017. According to initial plans, the systems were going to be transferred to the Turkish side by early 2020. It later remerged that the deliveries would be fast-tracked at Ankara’s request.

Turkey will be the first NATO member state to acquire the advanced Russian surface-to-air missile system in a deal worth $2.5bn, Rostec’s Sergei Chemezov told Russian newspaper Kommersant in December 2017.

The S-400 system, incompatible with NATO systems, is touted as being able to engage aerial targets within a 400km range.

U.S. military officials and politicians have expressed concerns over Turkey’s intention to buy the Russian missile system.

The U.S. Department of State earlier reported that it might launch sanctions against any country that purchases S-400s from Russia.