New Delhi:
India’s fourth S-400 Triumf air defence system, already shipped from Russia after the Indian Air Force (IAF) completed pre-dispatch inspection earlier this month, is expected to arrive in the country around mid-May, sources have said. The fifth and final S-400 regiment under the original contract is expected by November.
The timing places the delivery just days after the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, when the S-400 played a major role in countering Pakistan’s aerial threats. India and Russia signed the agreement for five S-400 regiments costing around Rs 40,000 crore in October 2018 during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi.
Three have been delivered and inducted into the IAF. The fourth unit’s delivery has been delayed by over three years, owing to supply chain disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The fourth system is expected to be deployed in the Rajasthan sector to bolster air defence against Pakistan.
In March, the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh cleared the procurement of five additional S-400 systems from Russia, which would take India’s total holding to 10 regiments.
Sources said the fresh order is expected to face no CAATSA complications as it will be treated as a follow-on to the existing contract. Both the Trump and Biden administrations had previously warned India that proceeding with the original S-400 purchase would invite sanctions under CAATSA, a US law that provides for penalties against entities trading with Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov said on April 16 that deliveries of the remaining two systems are on schedule, with a “mutually agreed timetable” in place. Russia has already trained Indian personnel to operate the systems. With all 10 S-400 units eventually operational alongside Project Kusha, India’s homegrown long-range surface-to-air missile programme, India’s airspace would be effectively sealed against drones, advanced fighters, and ballistic missile threats.