The US attack on Syria marked the first direct military move by Washington against the Assad government after six years of civil war. 

The Tomahawk missiles used by the US this week have a range of about 1,600 kilometers and can be launched from a ship or a submarine. It typically carries a 450 kilo bomb or 166 smaller bombs. This weapon entered service in 1991 during the first US war in Iraq. Since then it has been used more than 2,000 times in combat.

In order to thwart the Tomahawk, Russia may turn to the S-400 system, a truck-based surface-to-air missile system designed to take down airplanes, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. It was deployed to Syria after Turkey shot down a Russian Fighter in 2015.

The S-400 system may not be enough to bring down every Tomahawk targeting Syria. But the Russians may slow the US down.