Page 8 - ADT JANUARY 2021 Online Magazine

Self The contract for the S-400 missile system was inked on the side- [ MISSILE SYSTEMS ]

lines of the Indo-Russia annual summit in India in 2018, defying a
Defence potential threat of punitive measures by the United States.

According to the contract, the delivery of the missile system is
staggered and will be completed in the first half of 2025 when the
fifth and the final regimental set will be delivered. Russian officials
had in 2019 noted that the deal would be made in Rupee-Rouble
currency to eliminate dependency on the US dollar.
INDIA ASKS RUSSIA TO EXPEDITE
THE DELIVERY OF S-400 Potent Package
The package includes the 40N6 missile, and with this the S-400
Jay Menon has the capability to intercept cruise missiles and aircraft up to
400-km. away, and can engage up to 36 targets at a time and
simultaneously launch 72 missiles.
Amid heightened tensions along its borders, With increasing threats from its neighbours, India has been look-
and threat of sanctions by the United States, ing at boosting its national air defence capacity and the S-400
India has asked Russia to expedite the delivery is the ideal choice since it's Russia's most advanced anti-aircraft
schedule of the five S-400 Triumf air defence defence system.
missile systems. Defence Minister Rajnath
Singh recently discussions at the highest level Once India inducts the highly-mobile and automated S-400 sys-
to ensure that the deliveries will not be delayed tems, which have different kinds of supersonic and hypersonic
due to the pandemic and current political and missiles as well as long-range radars to track 100 to 300 targets
military development. simultaneously, they can be used to protect cities during war or
Russia is believed to have delayed the vital installations like nuclear power plants.
delivery of the systems by almost a year to
December 2021 due to Covid-19 pandemic. The The plan is to fully integrate the S-400 systems with the Indian
mode of payment for the US$5.4 Bn deal has Air Force (IAF) air defence network --integrated air command
already been formalised, and India has com- and control system, which combines a wide array of sensors and
pleted large payments for the system last year. weapons, to further enhance their lethality and plug gaps in the
The request for an early delivery comes as India country's airspace.
augments its defence preparedness. Last year
India lost 20 soldiers to violence on the Line The S-400 is as an upgrade of the S-300 Growler family, designed
of Actual Control (LAC) with China, and the and developed by Almaz Antei. The S-400 is employed to ensure air
situation along the borders are currently tense. defence using long- and medium-range missiles that can hit aerial
targets at ranges up to 400 kilometers. The S-400 is capable of
The system is expected to be deployed in the hitting tactical and strategic aircraft as well as ballistic and cruise
National Capital Region and along the Mumbai- missiles. The system includes a set of radars, missile launchers
Baroda Industrial Corridor. India has reasons and command posts.
to worry as China, which also enjoys strong
defence ties with Russia, has already acquired Threat of U.S. Sanctions
the S-400 system from its northern neighbour. Meanwhile, a U.S. Congressional report has warned that the deal

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