Russia delivers third S-400 system to India

The S-400 consists of a regimental command-and-control vehicle, regimental search radar to provide search-and-tracking functions for the S-400 system as a whole, transporter-erector-launcher (pictured above), and tracking and fire-control radar. (Janes/Peter Felstead)

Russia has delivered the third S-400 Triumf self-propelled surface-to-air missile (SAM) system to the Indian Air Force (IAF), a senior defence official told Janes on 2 March.

The official added that the system will be deployed at the western border with Pakistan. India signed a USD5.5 billion deal with Russia in October 2018 to acquire five S-400 systems for the IAF.

Russia delivered the first two systems to India in December 2021 and April 2022, respectively, and the country intends to deliver the remaining two systems by the end of 2023.

Alexander Mikheyev, CEO of Russia's state arms seller Rosoboronexport, earlier told state-owned news agency TASS that the company was successfully implementing the contract on the delivery of S-400 air-defence systems to India and all the five S-400 regiment sets would arrive in the country by the end of 2023.

The first S-400 system is deployed in India's northwest Punjab region to mitigate air threats from China and Pakistan. The second system is deployed in the northeast region of the country. The third will be deployed in the western Rajasthan region along Pakistan.

According to Janes Land Warfare Platforms: Artillery & Air Defence, the name S-400 refers to a family of long-range air-defence systems, which was originally designed in the Soviet Union but was developed by Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.