Engineering:
Many countries have shown interest in buying the Russian S-400 missile system as opposed to the ones U.S. companies have developed due to the price tag – a mere $500,000. The Raytheon U.S. Patriot Pac-2 battery system has a price of $1 billion, and the Lockheed Martin THAAD battery system is selling for $3 billion.
13 countries, so far, have shown their interest in the Russian product, and such a decision could lead to possible U.S. sanctions, which would fall under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act. The act was passed in August 2017 by President Donald Trump. China was hit with sanctions for their purchase of Russian missiles and fighter jets.
Still, the U.S. has the power to waive those sanctions.
The reason Russian arms tend to be cheaper than American ones is that they don’t come with a lot of maintenance support.
Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group for the Center for Strategies and International Studies Director Andrew Hunter said the purchase of American military products means an investment and partnership with the U.S. military. This investment also means technical and maintenance support, which is the huge difference in the price.
