MOSCOW, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Air Force will receive the first models of a new air defense missile-gun system next year, deputy Air Force chief Col-Gen Anatoly Nogovitsyn told reporters on Thursday.

    "It's undergoing initial trials at present. The system is very promising. We're looking forward to seeing them supplied to troops. The first models will be added to the Air Force arsenal in 2008," Nogovitsyn was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

    The new Pantsir S1 system will be used together with the air defense missile system S400. "Pantsir will be on standby alert, and S400 will join in case of serious threat," the general said.

    Pantsir S1 will replace the Tunguska-M1 system. It can functionin fully automated mode, from detecting and classifying targets to destroying them. It is operated by a crew of three. Its armaments includes 12 missiles and two 30-mm artillery guns which can destroy aircraft and missiles.

    Nogovitsyn also said Russia's Air Force and Air Defense will not buy stationary air defense systems.

    "We're adding to the arsenal only mobile air defense systems; we're no longer interested in stationary ones. It's necessary for ensuring survivability, as well as for the opportunity to create air defense formations in the shortest possible time," he said.

    "Our new air defense systems are mobile. They can create formations in any strategic direction in response to the threat of a massive air or missile attack," he said.