Moscow, Aug. 6 (PTI): Russia today deployed its latest air defence missiles near here to protect the capital from attacks by stealth aircraft and missiles and would be ready to offer the systems to foreign buyers after two years of trials by the Air Force.

First S-400 Triumph missile complex (NATO codename SA-21 Growler), commissioned near the nuclear energy centre of Electrostal some 50 km east of Moscow, is claimed to be superior to the US Patriot missiles.

Capable of downing any flying object, including ballistic missiles warheads, cruise missiles and stealth aircraft, the system would gradually phase out the earlier S-300 version.

It can destroy any flying target including the warhead of the size of a tennis ball at the range of 400 km -- twice the range of the US MIM-104 Patriot, Russian state TV reported adding, S-400 could also be used in space defence.

Russia could start serial production of S-400 Triumph air defence complex for export from 2009, the head of the Almaz Design Bureau Igor Ashurbeili told the state-run Vesti TV.

"Within two years, our forces will test this system to ensure that there are no problems with it and then we will start producing them for export from 2009," Ashurbeili said.

He said the system is capable of destroying stealth aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles with an effective range of up to 3,500 kilometres and a speed of up to 4.8 kilometres per second.

The air defence component of the Russian Air Force currently deploy more than 30 regiments equipped with S-300 missile complexes to protect major cities and vital installations.