China has received the first batch of Russian-made S-400 Triumf missile systems, a military diplomatic source told TASS.

“An acceptance certificate was signed on the second half of this month for the first batch of S-400 systems that was delivered from Russia by sea in May 2018. The systems passed over to China’s ownership once the document was signed,” the source said.

Russia’s Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation refrained from comment on this information.

China’s acquisition of S-400 units includes this first delivery as well as a second batch to be delivered by year’s end. The deal was reported to be worth $3 billion.

Reports on Russia signing a contract for sales of S-400 systems to China came in November 2014. In November 2015, Russian president’s adviser on military technical cooperation Vladimir Kozhin confirmed these reports. China became the first foreign buyer of these systems and will receive two batches.

According to reports, Beijing does not plan to waste in any time in testing the new interceptor-based systems.

“It is planned that in late July-early August the unit of the People’s Liberation Army, which underwent training in Russia, will carry out the firing against a simulated ballistic target at a Chinese firing ground,” The Diplomat reported Friday, citing defense sources.

“It is still unknown when the first S-400 unit will enter the service with the PLA, although a rapid induction, as evidenced by the recent announcement of the test firing, can be expected,” The Diplomat report said.

Approximately 10 countries are considering procuring Russia’s S-400 air defense systems, the Head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Dmitry Shugayev, said in April 2018.

“Many countries in the world have shown interest in the S-400 air defense system, first of all countries in the Middle East and North Africa… There is broad range of air defense weapons on the global market, yet the demand for Russian hardware remains stable. It is hardly likely that Russia will surrender this market to its rivals,” Shugayev told the Interfax news agency.

Russia’s S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the latest long-range antiaircraft missile system that went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and surface targets. The system can hit aerodynamic targets at a range of up to 400 kilometers (249 miles) and tactical ballistic targets flying at a speed of 4.8 km/s (3 mi/s) at a distance of up to 60 kilometers (37 miles). Such targets include cruise missiles, tactical and strategic aircraft and ballistic missile warheads.

The system’s radars detect aerial targets at a distance of up to 600 kilometers (373 miles). The system’s 48N6E3 surface-to-air missiles can hit aerodynamic targets at altitudes of 10,000-27,000 meters and ballistic threats at altitudes of 2,000-25,000 meters.