IAF activates three S-400 missile units on the China & Pak border, to meet Russia for Final S400 Unit delivery

NewsBharati 01-Nov-2023 15:44:44 PM

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With three S-400 air defence missile squadrons currently operating along India's borders with China and Pakistan, Indian and Russian officials are due to meet shortly to negotiate the final delivery timeline for the other two squadrons.

In 2018-19, India inked a Rs 35,000 crore contract with Russia for five squadrons of S-400 missiles, three of which have already arrived in the country, but delivery of the other two has been hampered owing to the Russia-Ukraine war.

"The three squadrons are already operational in critical sectors." While one unit is looking at both China and Pakistan, one unit has been assigned for each," defence sources informed ANI.

According to reports, Russian and Indian officials will meet again shortly to negotiate the final delivery timeline for the remaining two missile squadrons.

Because of the ongoing crisis with Ukraine, the Russian side has been vague regarding final delivery timetables.

According to sources, some reports stated that the squadrons built for the Indian Air Force were exploited by the Russians for their own purposes, but nothing has been proved, and India is also focused only on acquiring its own systems.

Meanwhile, the Indian Defence Acquisition Council recently approved the acquisition of the Indian Long Range Surface to Air Missile system under Project Kusha after the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the development project.

The Indian Air Force is collaborating with the DRDO to accelerate the delivery of the LR-SAM. The three-layered long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) defense system would be capable of destroying enemy aircraft and missiles at distances of up to 400 kilometers.

The system would be well supplemented by the current air defense systems, particularly the three services' Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM), which is already operational.