NEW DELHI — Russia has begun supplying S-400 Triumf missile systems toIndia ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India for an annualsummit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi next month.
The move would give a boost to New Delhi’s air defence capabilities alongits volatile borders with China and Pakistan.
The $5.43 billion deal to buy five surface-to-air missile systems for theIndian Air Force was concluded between India and Russia in 2018. Thedeliveries risk triggering U.S. sanctions against India under the 2017″Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act” (CAATSA), whichimposes economic penalties on countries that purchase Russian militaryhardware. The threat comes despite New Delhi’s strong defence and strategicties with Washington: The two countries make up half the Quad, which iswidely seen as aimed at limiting China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.
“The supplies of the S-400 air defence system to India have started and areproceeding on schedule,” Dmitry Shugaev, director of the Federal Servicefor Military-Technical Cooperation, was quoted as saying by Russia’sstate-run news agency Sputnik on Sunday.
Delivery of the first S-400 missile system, which can engage aerial targetsincluding aircraft, drones, and ballistic and cruise missiles within arange of 400 km, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
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The system comprises the firing unit, the control system and the missileitself.
“The S-400 [will help] India defend itself from any aerial threat thatChina and Pakistan pose to it,” says N.C. Bipindra, a New Delhi-baseddefence strategist, pointing out that Beijing already has this missilesystem, and that now New Delhi has “a countermeasure.”
“India is matching capabilities with China in [regard to] the S-400, andhas the upper hand against aerial threats from Pakistan, which does nothave this missile system,” Bipindra said.
