India to get world’s best Air Defence System S-400 from Russia

Amid apprehensions of possible US sanctions against New Delhi over procurement of the weapons systems, Russian ambassador Nikolay Kudashev said on Wednesday that Russia and India are committed to adhering to timelines and other obligations under the S-400 missile agreement.

According to the article published in The Financial Express on 16 April 2021, “Later this year, Russia is going to deliver the first regimental set of S-400 Triumf ‘SA-21 Growler’ air defence systems.” Financial Express also mentioned, “Though a specific month or date has been confirmed yet, the Russian side is going to deliver the first set later this year.”

In view of the standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies, along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India had requested Russia to expedite the delivery of the S-400 air defence system. Technically it was not possible.

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In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions.

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.

The S-400 Triumph / SA-21 Growler) is an air defence missile system developed by Almaz Central Design Bureau of Russia. The S-400 was developed as an upgrade of the S-300 series of surface-to-air missile systems.

This state-of-the-art defence system integrates a multifunction radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and command and control centre. It is capable of firing three types of missiles to create a layered defence.

Texmaco Defence Systems Private Limited’s MD & CEO, Tribhuvan Darbari said, “It is a matter of pride that our partner Almaz Antey Air &  JSC will very soon deliver the S-400 Missile System to India also. It is a state-of-the-art defence system that integrates a multifunction radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and command and control centre. It is capable of firing three types of missiles to create a layered defence.”

According to the news published by The Hindu, the delivery schedule for the S-400 long-range air defence systems was on track for the end of 2021 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tribhuvan Darbari further added that defence cooperation is an important pillar of the India-Russia strategic partnership. India and Russia have an institutionalized structure to oversee the complete range of issues of military-technical cooperation. Over the years, this cooperation in the military-technical sphere has evolved from a purely buyer-seller relationship to joint research, design development and production of state-of-the-art military platforms.

Tribhuvan Darbari also mentioned that Texmaco Defence Systems Private Limited has established prestigious partnerships with the globally renowned Russian OEM’s, aimed at technology transfer and setting up of Joint Production facilities with TREL, for various envisaged projects of the Indian Armed Forces, under the “Make-in-India” programme.

Talking about the Indo-Russia relationship, Tribhuvan Darbari said, “Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Sergey Lavrov took a two-day trip to India, where he met his Indian counterpart, H.E. Mr. S. Jaishankar. During their joint press conference, the two foreign ministers reiterated the “time-tested” nature as well as the “remarkable resilience” of their bilateral ties in the face of the increasing difficulties that have affected India-Russia ties in recent times.” He said, “We wish that Indo-Russian relationship reach unprecedented heights under the present leadership.”

It should also be mentioned that the Russian Foreign Minister’s visit was very important against the backdrop of the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs of India, Mr. S. Jaishankar in his remarks at the joint press conference stated that bilateral ties continued to be “energetic and forward-looking” and that the two sides reviewed their cooperation in areas such as nuclear and space technology and the defence sector. The two sides also took stock of economic ties that have been affected negatively by the pandemic and agreed to pursue new opportunities in Russia’s Far East. Highlighting the potential of connectivity in the bilateral context, Jaishankar and Lavrov talked about the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor. Jaishankar invited Russia to play a major role in India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (“self-reliant India”) economic vision that can provide new openings for a more contemporary dynamic economic relationship between the two sides.