TASS news agency reported (July 31) that “About 100 military servicemen from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army who will maintain the second S-400 regiment set, completed a training course to use the S-400 systems in July and returned to their home country.” TASS added (July 24) the PLA soldiers returned to China as Russia began delivery of the second S-400 regimental set adding that “A transport vessel with the first batch of hardware from the second S-400 regiment set for China has taken to the sea from the port of Ust-Luga on the Baltic coast.” Delivery of the first S-400 regimental set was completed in May 2018. A first batch of around 100 PLA servicemen underwent training on the S-400 air defense system in Russia in the same year. The PLARF completed user trials in December 2018 after reportedly conducting two live fire tests. The organizational structure of the two PLARF regiments will broadly align with this, although the exact number of TELs and missiles delivered has not been disclosed. Total procurement costs for the two regiments are estimated at around $3 billion. China was the first international customer to place an order for the S-400 in 2014

(Comment: Another hundred Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers have completed a training course on the Russian-made S-400 Triumf long-range, interceptor-based air defense system (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) destined for service in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Rocket Force (PLARF). The PLA personnel that underwent training in Russia will reportedly be assigned to the second of two S-400 regiments to be stood up by the PLARF.)