India is all set to get the Russian S-400 missiles. The S-400 Triumph surface-to-air missile will begin coming from Russia to India in 2020. And it is expected the delivery of all the five squadrons will be completed by April 2023.
The Junior Defence minister, Subhash Bhamre in Lok Sabha on Wednesday said, “The S-400 systems will provide a competent air defense coverage to vulnerable areas/vulnerable points.” The contract for the S-400 missiles was made between India and Russia in October last year. The contract was of $5.43 billion or Rs 40,000 crore.
However, the threat of America still resides over everyone for purchasing the weapons from Russia and oil from Iran. As per the regulations of CAATSA, Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act, the countries aren’t entitled to buying weapons from Russia and oil from Iran. Talking of the regulations, Bhamre said that India Government is entirely aware of the undergoing and anything that will affect the weapon system.
Bhamre said, “The government takes sovereign decisions based on threat perceptions, operational and technical aspects to keep the armed forces in a state of readiness to meet the entire spectrum of security challenges.”
What is S-400 Missile?
S-400 is the air defense missile system which can attack the enemy aircraft flying high on air right from the surface. It is one of the best long-range surface-to-air missile defense systems. This system is known to destroy many bombers, missiles, and drones, all falling within the range of 380-km. This missile system is the updated version of S-300 and has been in Russian service since 2007.
Why India wanted the S-400 Missile system?
Back in October, previous year it was added that the country needed the missile system as a booster for the Indian Air Force. The threats from neighboring countries such as Pakistan and China keeps on rising each day. While Pakistan is equipped with 20 fighter squadrons, China has the upgraded model of F-16s and J-17. Apart from that China also owns 1700 fighters and 800 4-Gen fighters.
Since there is a shortage of weapons in India, the Indian Air Force falls short of threatening its neighbors.
The IAF Chief, Dhanoa had said back in October last year, “No country is facing the kind of grave threat that India is confronted with. Intentions of our adversaries can change overnight. We need to match the force level of our adversaries.”
The main aim of the government is to boost up the power of the Indian Air Force against potential enemies such as China and Pakistan. It also aims at increasing the protection of its cities.
The S-400 contract is one of the most significant and essential defense deals of India with Russia. Some of the other kinds of deals include the 262 Sukhoi-30MKI fighters (the contract was over $12billion) and the INS Vikramaditya ($2.33 billion for the aircraft carrier and the $2billion for 45 MiG-29Ks to function from the deck). India has been playing quite an important role in improving the power of the Air Defence Force.
