Moscow says it intends to deploy another five air-defense battalions, fitted with the highly sophisticated S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems next year.

Russia announced earlier in August that it had deployed an S-400 battalion near its far east border to counter a potential threat by North Korea's missile tests.

"So far we have two S-400 battalions," said the Air Force Commander Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin on Thursday, adding that both were deployed just outside Moscow, reported the RIA Novosti.

"In 2010, we are due to get enough S-400s to equip another five battalions."

He said, however, that would depend on "our industry's capabilities."

The S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler) systems are capable of intercepting and destroying airborne targets at distances of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles), twice the range of the US-made MIM-104 Patriot, and two-and-a-half times that of Russia's S-300PMU-2.

The system is also believed to be able to destroy stealth aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, and is effective at ranges of up to 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) and speeds of up to 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) per second.

RB/MB