Qatar to purchase Russian air defense systems, including S-400

The Qatari defense minister Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah announced Thursday, during a visit to Moscow, that the emirate wants to buy Russia’s advanced air defense systems. After watching a Russian firing drill of long-range S-400 and short-range Pantsir-S1 air defense weapons, the Qatari minister said that his government is also interested in acquiring the technology and means for manufacturing those weapons itself. DEBKAfile: If this deal goes through, Qatar will be the first Gulf emirate to arm itself with Russian weaponry.