Rs 45,000 cr deal inked in 2018, China, Turkey bought system
Sticking to its schedule, Russia has started the delivery of initial equipment of S-400 surface-to-air anti-missile system to India. The deal is worth over Rs 45,000 crore and it was inked in 2018 for five systems.
China has already procured six S-400 systems from Russia and inducted into service. It has deployed two S-400 squadrons at Ngari Gar Gunsa and Nyingchi airbase in Tibet, across Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh respectively.
Turkey is another customer in waiting for this system. Peeved over the deal, the US imposed sanctions against Turkey and has hinted India may also be covered by sanctions. These sanctions come under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which was passed in 2017 by the US to take action against countries involved in trade with Moscow.
However, Russia and India and have gone ahead with the contract and the entire lot of five systems are likely to be inducted in next three to four years. More than 100 IAF personnel have undergone training in Russia to handle this highly sophisticated anti-missile system which can detect an incoming missile or aircraft from 400 kms away. Another batch of 50-odd IAF personnel is likely to leave shortly for Russia for advanced training.
As regards the delivery schedule, Russia’s Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Dmitry Shugaev told Sputnik news that the deliveries are going as planned.
“The supplies of the S-400 air defence system to India have started and are proceeding on schedule,” he said.
Incidentally, the delivery has begun just weeks ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi in the first week of December.
India made the first tranche of payment of around USD 800 million to Russia for the missile systems in 2019. The S-400 is known as Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.
Sources said Russia is delivering the first lot of missiles to India via sea and air and the first squadron schedule is likely to be over by the end of the year.
The missile defence system is equipped with four different missiles, which can engage enemy aircraft, ballistic missiles, and Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) planes at 400km, 250km, the medium-range 120km and the short-range 40km.
Each S-400 system, known as a battery, consists of long-range radar, target acquisition radar, a command post vehicle, and two battalions of launchers (each battalion has eight). Each launcher has four tubes.
The command post, the radars, and the launchers are mounted on multi-axle, multi-wheel Ural carriers that have the capability to move on uneven terrains.
