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ANKARA, Sept. 15-- NATO member Turkey has signed an agreement with Russia on advanced S-400 missile defense system, a multi-billion deal that signals closer ties with Moscow amid tensions with its fellow allies. Military experts, however, say that this powerful surface-to-air system is not compatible with those within NATO. Turkey's NATO allies have warned Ankara that all members are obligated to use weapons that can be integrated with each other's systems, and that Russian arms do not meet the criteria. The U.S. Department of Defense expressed publicly its concerns, saying that "it's a good idea" for NATO allies to buy equipment that can be integrated in the alliance's system. The preliminary agreement would see Turkey receiving two S-400 missile batteries from Russia within the next year, and two more subsequently, according to Turkish sources quoted by the local media. The S-400 missile defense system is designed to detect, track and then destroy aircraft, drones or missiles. It's Russia's most advanced integrated air defense system, and can hit targets as far as 400 kilometers away. No financial details have been disclosed from Ankara and Moscow and there is no schedule on a possible delivery of the system. Turkey has been in NATO since the early 1950s, playing a key role as a frontline state bordering the Soviet Union. But ties with fellow members have been strained in recent years, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pursuing a more assertive and independent foreign policy as conflict engulfed neighboring Iraq and Syria. | 
