In a significant development, Russia has proposed to sell five more units of its advanced S-400 ‘Triumf’ surface-to-air missile system to India. This offer comes in response to a tender issued by the Indian Air Force (IAF) for the procurement of these missiles. The S-400 is known for its long-range capabilities and is a critical component of modern air defense systems.
The missile, renamed as ‘Sudarshan’ in Indian service, performed brilliantly during Operation Sindoor with many successful interceptions of incoming threats launched by Pakistan. The Russian bid for selling more of these missiles came amid a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan. The two also discussed and reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation in a range of fields including defence and energy. The fifth and the last piece is likely to be delivered by November.
The S-400 includes several components including the radar and missiles, whose massive range of up to 400 km can deter enemy aircraft from flying safely even in their own airspace, as had happened with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Western Air Command chief Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra, in a podcast with news agency ANI, had said the S-400 achieved what was possibly the longest-ever recorded surface-to-air missile kill when it destroyed a Pakistan Air Force surveillance aircraft at a range of 314 km. India has so far got four of the five S-400 units ordered under the first contract signed in 2018.
The deliveries of the missile systems under the new contract are likely to start in three years from the time of signing the deal. The additional units are expected to be deployed along both the eastern and western borders to strengthen the country’s layered air defence network. India decided to get five more squadrons of the S-400 system after seeing its performance during Operation Sindoor. Putin’s defence deal basket has room for more hardware like the S-500 Prometheus co-production, Sukhoi-57E Felon stealth jet, Kilo Class submarine with Kalibr cruise missile capability, Voronezh strategic early-warning radar and the Super Sukhoi-30 upgrade programme.
