Actually, Nerw York is not a problem for Russia. Moscow is a problem for Russia. New York surely is considered irrelevant by comparison. Everything unauthorized launched to the Russian-Belarussian aerospace deserve to be considered hostile and if it is posible its downing, well, … lets do it.

So what, now it can shoot down flying saucers too?

May be GBI launched from Poland :p If these S-400 follow on are located in Belarus, the interception geometry will be very favourable.

How about an truly “asymmetric answer” as i.e. support to Iraqi freedom fighters in the war against the invaders?

Yes Sferrin, the “hydra type” radar networks. So far a few theoretical works centred on this idea have been known. But no practical designs at all except planning based on “network-centric warfare”. Not very much at all.

Because of costs. No doubt, the s-300/s-400 systems are much more capable (longer ranges, more jam immunity, etc) than Buk. But in the context of an American aggression s-300/s-400 will be destroyed anyway by sheer number of planes, launched missiles and launched PGM. Just by saturation the US air-force can do the job. So you (Iran) should focus in a system with the following attributes:
a- Low cost (almost dispensable)
b- Extreme mobility for very frequent relocations
c- Able to hunt enemy planes after they launched the war-load but are deep in the Iranian mainland.
SA-17 fit almost perfectly in this description. It have much more mobility than S-300/S-400 and by the same cost you can buy far more batteries. It have the range and ceiling to hunt the planes that launched the PGM that supposedly will confront the Tor systems. Their mission is not “to defend” but to “cause damage”.
Clearly for China or Russia, s-300/s-400 will be more useful because these countries will have the ability to repulse a NATO bombardment campaign. Iran will not. Consequently it will have to focus in asymmetrical retaliation.

The THAAD type missile is the 40N6. 9M96 missiles are similar to PAC-3. I assume that the guy is talking about the 40N6 and/or probably a modernized version of the 9M82M/9M83M tandem.

I am just crystal ball gazing here but I think the Big 40N6 should be 3 stage missile , with the 3rd stage acting as a Kinetic Interceptor or with Warhead or both.

Austin. There is little info about the 40N6, but in principle it will be a 2-stage missile with the first stage borrowed from the 9M82M (Giant B), improved propellants from the latest S-400 missiles and a much newer guidance system that will allow long ranges (400 km) to shot aerial targets OR high ceiling to shot ballistic ones (You can’t have simultaneously the two max parameters). Two missiles per TEL may be carried. This imply that will have roughly the dimensions of 9M82, so it will be around 5 tons.
No more than this is known. :confused:
Gazelles and Gorgons are much heavier (10 ton and 35 tons respectively).