New Delhi: Russia is expected not only to expedite the supply of the two remaining S-400 Triumf batteries to India, but also sign a fresh contract for more of these air defence systems that proved so effective during Operation Sindoor.
The issue was discussed between officials of both countries after the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian president Vladimir Putin in Tianjin, China, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on Monday.
India had signed a Rs 39,000 crore deal with Russia for the supply of five S-400 batteries in 2018. Delivery was delayed and the first three arrived between 2021 and 2023. One of these was set up at Adampur in Punjab. The two others are somewhere in the eastern and western sectors. India has been following up about the delivery of the two remaining batteries for quite some time now.
According to sources, one of the units is expected to be delivered by 2026 and the other by 2027. The delay in their delivery was raised during defence minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Russia last year, as well as the recently held India-Russia bilateral meeting.
“India already has our S-400 system. There is potential to expand our cooperation in this area as well. That means new deliveries. Now, we are in the negotiation stage,” Dmitry Shugayev, the head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, was quoted as saying by TASS.
Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh had recently called the S-400 system a “game-changer” during Operation Sindoor. Pakistan was unable to penetrate the surface-to-air missile system despite firing multiple projectiles aimed at India during the four-day conflict that followed the Pahalgam terror attack.
The missile system can detect enemy activity up to 600 km and track over 100 targets simultaneously. With a firing range of up to 400 km, it can destroy bombers, fighter jets, drones, early warning aircraft, and even ballistic missiles. Each regiment, or unit, of the S-400 system is equipped with eight launch vehicles, each having four missile tubes.
India has been firm in its decision to go in for the S-400 system despite objections from the US. The deal for more systems will come at a time when the US has imposed 50% tariffs on India for purchasing Russian crude.
