Moscow/New Delhi: Russia has submitted a fresh proposal to India for the sale of five additional squadrons of the S-400 ‘Sudarshan’ long-range air defence system.
If the deal goes through, it will be a major expansion that would further strengthen the country’s air defence capabilities along both its eastern and western fronts.
The Defence Ministry has received the Russian response to India’s tender and is currently under examination, sources told ANI. The proposed project is estimated to cost more than Rs 50,000 crore.
“The Russian response to the Indian tender has been received, and it is being processed at the moment. The project is estimated to cost over Rs 50,000 crore,” the sources told ANI.
This comes months after India cleared plans to procure five more S-400 squadrons following Operation Sindoor, where the Russian-origin air defence system emerged as a key element of India’s layered defence network.
The system played a crucial role in countering Pakistani aerial threats during Operation Sindoor. The system was credited with preventing Pakistani aircraft from approaching Indian airspace and targeting several enemy platforms.
Western Air Command chief Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra recently highlighted the system’s performance during a podcast with ANI, saying it achieved what could be the longest recorded surface-to-air missile kill.
An S-400 missile destroyed a Pakistan Air Force surveillance aircraft at a distance of around 314 kilometres, the Air Marshal said.
The system was also involved in shooting down several Pakistani fighter aircraft, including Chinese-origin J-10 jets operated by the Pakistan Air Force, he said.
Air Marshal Mishra also revealed that Pakistan had deployed spies and activated sleeper cells in an attempt to locate India’s S-400 installations during the operation.
India had signed its first contract with Russia for five S-400 squadrons in 2018. Of these, four have already been delivered and inducted.
The final squadron under the existing agreement is expected to arrive by November this year, sources said.
Deliveries of the additional systems are expected to begin around three years later, if the new proposal is approved and a contract is signed.
India is also working to increase its number of missiles for the existing systems. The country is in the process of acquiring more than 280 missiles for the S-400 systems it already has, as reported by News18.
India is also developing an indigenous long-range air defence system under Project Kusha. The programme recently recorded an early success after intercepting a simulated target at a range of around 140 kilometres.
This is part of a broader push to build a comprehensive air defence shield under Mission Sudarshan Chakra, under which multiple agencies are working to acquire and develop advanced systems capable of protecting key areas across the country.
The proposed purchase of five additional S-400 squadrons would add more punch to India’s expanding air defence network, which combines imported systems with indigenous platforms such as Akash and others under development.
