Russia To Supply More "Game-Changer" S-400s, Which Pak Failed To Penetrate

Russia is expected to start delivering more S-400 units, months after the air defence system emerged as an impenetrable shield for India during its war debut against Pakistan. Negotiations are underway to expedite the delivery of the surface-to-air missile system.

Sources say that one of the units is expected to be delivered by 2026 and another by 2027. These are the two remaining units from the 2018 order for five units placed by India. The delay in the delivery was raised during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Russia last year, as well as the recently held India-Russia bilateral meeting.

Besides these two, India is also planning to purchase more S-400 systems that may help develop its ambitious 'Sudarshan Chakra' project. The multilayered framework, which found a mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech, will integrate advanced surveillance and cyber protection to provide a defensive blanket over the country - and will be similar to Israel's Iron Dome.

"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.

Read: All About The S-400 Defence System Used By India To Neutralise Pak Missiles

The S-400 is a prized possession for the Indian forces, dubbed a "game-changer" during Operation Sindoor by Air Chief Marshal AP Singh. Pakistan was unable to penetrate the surface-to-air missile system despite firing multiple projectiles aimed at India during the May conflict that followed the counterterrorism operation.

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 acquired the S-400 from Russia in 2018 to counter Pakistani and Chinese threats. The Rs 39,000-crore deal was for five S-400 Triumf long-range surface-to-air missiles, but the deliveries have been delayed multiple times.

Three S-400 units were received between 2021 and 2023, while the remaining two are yet to arrive. These three units have been deployed in Adampur (Punjab), the Eastern sector, and Western sector.

The S-400 is a key indicator of India-Russia cooperation, which shone on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China. The leaders of the two nations showed camaraderie during their Tianjin bilateral, while Russia also acknowledged India's defiance against the US demand to stop buying oil from Moscow.