After launching operation Sindoor to
Revenge the pehelgam terror attack, India
may now activate its S400 air defense
system as precaution against any
potential Pakistani retaliation
including the use of missiles or
aircraft. This deployment marks a
significant signal of India’s
preparedness and military might amid
rising tensions between the two
neighbors. So what is the S400 air
defense system?
We explain the S400 Triumph is a
cuttingedge mobile surfaceto-air missile
system developed by Russia’s NPO Almas.
It’s an advanced upgrade of the earlier
S300 system and has been in Russian
military service since 2007.
The system is so powerful that Russia is now
working on its successor which is the
S500. India had signed a deal with
Russia in October 2018 to procure five
S400 regiments valued at $5.43 billion
at 2018 exchange rates. Out of these
three regiments have already been
delivered and are operational while the
remaining two are expected by August
next year. The deliveries faced delays
due to the Russia Ukraine war.
Now, let’s take a look at the
capabilities of the S400.
The S400 is deployable within just 5 minutes, making it ideal for quick defensive action. It
is also resistant to electronic jamming
and is capable of intercepting a wide
range of aerial threats such as fighter
jets, cruise missiles, drones, and
ballistic missiles. It boasts a tracking
capacity of 300 targets and can engage
36 at the same time.
The system operates with four different missile
types, namely the 40 N6E with range 400
km, 48 N6E3 with range 250 km, 9M96E2
with range 120 km, and 9M 96E range 40
km. It is equipped with 360°
surveillance radars such as the 96 L6E
and offers counter stealth capabilities
making it effective even against stealth
aircraft. The S400 can also integrate
with other systems like the S300 to
pancer for a lead and multi-tered
defense setup.
Plus there are India’s other indigenous
efforts like project Kusha. While
relying on Russian technology for now
India is also working on an indigenous
long range air defense solution under
project Kusha led by the defense
research and development organization
better known as the DRDO. Project Kusha
aims to build long range surfaceto-air
missiles which are LRS with ranges
between 150 to 350 km offering lead
interception capabilities. When
completed, it is expected to rival the
S400 and Israel’s Iron Dome capable of
detecting and neutralizing threats from
stealth jets, cruise missiles and
drones.
With operation sindur sending a strong
signal to Pakistan the deployment of the
S400 could reinforce India’s deterrence
posture. It not only ensures airspace
security in times of conflict but also
showcases India’s readiness to respond
swiftly to any provocation.
