MOSCOW, August 23 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will not export advanced S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler) antiaircraft missiles in the foreseeable future, a source in the military-industrial complex said Thursday.

"For objective reasons, no S-400 SAM systems will be delivered abroad, including to CIS countries, in the next few years. A decision to export such systems may only be made by the country's top leadership," the expert said, commenting on a recent statement by Belarus's defense minister about his country's intention to buy S-400 systems.

Russia first displayed the S-400 system at an ongoing air show outside Moscow.

The S-400 Triumf is a new air defense missile system developed by the Almaz Central Design Bureau as an upgrade of the S-300 family.

Russia has deployed an S-400 battalion to guard the airspace around the capital, Moscow.

The S-400 has been designed to intercept and destroy airborne targets at a distance of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles), or twice the range of the U.S. MIM-104 Patriot, and 2.5 times that of the S-300PMU-2.

The system is believed to have high capability to destroy stealth aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles with an effective range of up to 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles), and a speed of up to 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) per second.

Experts believe that the ability to intercept and destroy cruise missiles and ballistic missiles makes the S-400 Triumf a crucial part of theater missile defenses.

A regular S-400 battalion comprises at least eight launchers and 32 missiles and a mobile command post, according to various sources.