E-Paper
Big defence boost: India set to receive fourth S-400 missile systems by April-end
The Indian armed forces used the air defence system extensively to bring down Pakistani fighter aircraft and drones during Operation Sindoor.
An Indian Air Force team has arrived in Russia to inspect a fourth S-400 system for India, which will likely arrive by April-end and be deployed in the Western sector, people aware of the matter said on Monday.
The fifth S-400 system is set to be deployed by November this year, they said, days after the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved five additional Russian-origin S-400 Triumf air defence systems. The fourth unit of the air defence system is likely to be deployed in Rajasthan.
The additional air defence systems will bring the number of S-400 units in India to 10. The country ordered five units from Russia in 2018 under a government-to-government deal. After the DAC nod, all steps leading to a government-to-government deal for the additional systems are likely to be closed within a year, the officials quoted above said.
India’s defence acquisition process follows a chain of approvals to ensure strict oversight. It begins with the statement of case, outlining the operational requirement and justification for procurement. The proposal is then examined by the Defence Procurement Board chaired by the defence secretary. It then moves to the DAC for Acceptance of Necessity. Once this is cleared, detailed cost negotiations are undertaken with the vendor, followed by financial approval from the competent authority. The final clearance is granted by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
The Indian Air Force previously made a case for the purchase of five more S-400 systems from Russia along with the Pantsir short-range system. The Russian missile system is effective in combating armed and kamikaze drones. The S-400 and Pantsir missile systems can be integrated into a two-layer defence system to take out aerial objects fired from across the border.
The Indian armed forces used the air defence system extensively to bring down Pakistani fighter aircraft, early warning and intelligence gathering aircraft and armed drones during Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
HT earlier reported that after India hit a wide-bodied aircraft inside Punjab in Pakistan at a distance of 314km using an S-400 long range missile, Rawalpindi virtually shifted all its operational aircraft towards its airbases in the west near Afghanistan and Iran.
With India attacking Pakistani radar installations in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sialkot and Pasrur, the Pakistani air force was a no show on May 9-10 due to the fear of the S-400 system deployed at Adampur and Bhuj sectors.
