The Indian Air Drive is about to obtain its ultimate two of 5 ordered regiments’ value of S-400 lengthy vary air defence techniques in 2024, in line with a press release by Air Drive Chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari. The marshal reported on October 5 concerning the order: “Our contract was for 5 techniques and three have been delivered. There’s a hindrance in supply as a result of Russia-Ukraine warfare and we’re certain that within the subsequent one 12 months, we can be getting the remaining techniques.” He added that India was creating an indigenous lengthy vary air defence system beneath the Kusha challenge, which got here as a part of broader efforts to finish reliance on international suppliers for the nation’s armed forces. After the Indian Defence Ministry positioned an order for S-400s in October 2018 beneath a $5.43 billion contract, Russia accelerated deliveries of the belongings in response to subsequent requests from Delhi. The Russian defence sector has been capable of produce ample S-400 techniques to each quickly broaden the home arsenal and to finish simultaneous exports to Belarus and India, largely on account of important investments within the 2010s which allowed air defence belongings to be produced on a far bigger scale starting close to the top of the last decade. Though India has repeatedly been threatened with American financial warfare measures ought to it proceed with acquisitions of excessive finish Russian weapons techniques, Delhi has harshly condemned such threats as illegitimate and unlawful and was extensively seen by analysts to have successfully known as Washington’s bluff over potential sanctions when it went forward with deliberate orders for Russian air defence belongings.
Development of recent factories and modernisation of older ones in Russia has facilitated a large scale of manufacturing permitting a number of regiments value of S-400s to be produced yearly. This has continued in parallel alongside manufacturing of different newer lengthy ranged techniques such because the S-300V4 and S-500. Essentially the most notable amenities which have seen their productive capacities improved to facilitate manufacturing of superior air defence belongings on an expanded scale embrace a brand new wing of the Obukhov Plant in St. Petersburg, the Avitek Plant in Kirov which was throughly modernised, and the NMP Plant in Nizhniy Novgorod. Russian President Vladimir Putin in January 2023 alluded to the scale of Russia’s productive capability for floor to air missile techniques, highlighting on a go to to the Obukhovsky Plant that its output of floor to air missiles exceeded that of the factories of the remainder of the world mixed. Whereas this declare is disputed, with Chinese language and North Korean manufacturing portions being important however unknown, the manufacturing unit’s output is believed to comfortably exceed these of all NATO members mixed.
The first S-400 unit delivered to India was deployed close to its western border with Pakistan in December 2021, with a second unit delivered the following 12 months stationed close to the northern border with China. The third started deliveries in January 2023, and S-400s have thus continued to revolutionise the nation’s beforehand very restricted floor to air capabilities. S-400s are prized for his or her superior capabilities towards stealth plane, that are fielded by China in quick rising numbers, in addition to their capability to counter ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, bomber and fighters concurrently, and their very excessive situational consciousness with a 600km most detection vary. Different notable options embrace excessive survivability on account of very excessive mobility and superior digital warfare countermeasures, a demonstrated capability to intercept hypersonic weapons at Mach 8 speeds, and the usage of a number of complementary missile lessons optimised for participating various kinds of targets at totally different ranges – permitting a single system to supply a multi layered air defence.
