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NEW DELHI: The first squadron of the formidable S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system has become virtually operational in northwest India, but the delivery of the second squadron from Russia has been slightly delayed due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Russia has begun dispatching simulators and other training equipment to India for a ‘training squadron’ of the air defence system. “But the second ‘operational’ squadron, deliveries of which were to begin in June, will be delayed by at least a month, if not more,” a defence ministry source told TOI on Friday.
IAF got deliveries of the first S-400 squadron in thousands of containers through the air and sea routes in December. In all, IAF is slated to get five S-400 squadrons, at intervals of six months each, under the $5.43 billion (Rs 40,000 crore) contract inked with Russia in 2018.
The first S-400 squadron has been deployed in Punjab to cater for the western front with Pakistan and safeguard critical defence installations like the Ambala airbase for the new Rafale fighter jets.
The other squadrons will also be suitably positioned to cater for aerial threats from both China and Pakistan before they can enter Indian airspace. The highly-automated mobile systems can detect, track and destroy hostile strategic bombers, jets, spy planes, missiles and drones at a range of 380km.
Each S-400 squadron has two missile batteries with 128 missiles each, with interception ranges of 120, 200, 250 and 380km, as well as long-range acquisition and engagement radars and all-terrain transporter-erector vehicles.
At the recent two-plus-two dialogue in Washington, US secretary of state Antony Blinken had said the Biden administration was yet to make any decision on sanctions or waiver for India’s purchase of the S-400 systems under CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act), which seeks to prevent countries from buying Russian weapons or Iranian oil.
The US, incidentally, had earlier slapped sanctions on China and Turkey for inducting the S-400 systems. India has told the US that the S-400 systems were an “urgent national security requirement” to counter aggressive neighbours like China and Pakistan. Moreover, the acquisition process for them began before CAATSA was enacted in 2017.
India had earlier also worked out alternate banking arrangements to pay the 15% advance to Russia and the first few installments linked to deliveries in the S-400 deal. Concurrently, India has increasingly turned to countries like the US, France and Israel for its defence needs over the years, much to Russia’s dislike.
Russia has begun dispatching simulators and other training equipment to India for a ‘training squadron’ of the air defence system. “But the second ‘operational’ squadron, deliveries of which were to begin in June, will be delayed by at least a month, if not more,” a defence ministry source told TOI on Friday.
IAF got deliveries of the first S-400 squadron in thousands of containers through the air and sea routes in December. In all, IAF is slated to get five S-400 squadrons, at intervals of six months each, under the $5.43 billion (Rs 40,000 crore) contract inked with Russia in 2018.
The first S-400 squadron has been deployed in Punjab to cater for the western front with Pakistan and safeguard critical defence installations like the Ambala airbase for the new Rafale fighter jets.
The other squadrons will also be suitably positioned to cater for aerial threats from both China and Pakistan before they can enter Indian airspace. The highly-automated mobile systems can detect, track and destroy hostile strategic bombers, jets, spy planes, missiles and drones at a range of 380km.
Each S-400 squadron has two missile batteries with 128 missiles each, with interception ranges of 120, 200, 250 and 380km, as well as long-range acquisition and engagement radars and all-terrain transporter-erector vehicles.
At the recent two-plus-two dialogue in Washington, US secretary of state Antony Blinken had said the Biden administration was yet to make any decision on sanctions or waiver for India’s purchase of the S-400 systems under CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act), which seeks to prevent countries from buying Russian weapons or Iranian oil.
The US, incidentally, had earlier slapped sanctions on China and Turkey for inducting the S-400 systems. India has told the US that the S-400 systems were an “urgent national security requirement” to counter aggressive neighbours like China and Pakistan. Moreover, the acquisition process for them began before CAATSA was enacted in 2017.
India had earlier also worked out alternate banking arrangements to pay the 15% advance to Russia and the first few installments linked to deliveries in the S-400 deal. Concurrently, India has increasingly turned to countries like the US, France and Israel for its defence needs over the years, much to Russia’s dislike.
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