The age-old camaraderie between India and Russia will be bearing new fruit with the Defence Minister Nirmala Sithraman’s upcoming visit to Moscow. India and Russia are likely to finalise the deal on procuring S-400 Triumf, an anti-aircraft weapon system developed by the Russians. The first talk of acquiring this missile system was reported in 2015 where India reportedly wanted to buy, 12 S-400 missile systems. Later, it was reported that as per the requirements, India would buy only 5 units of S-400 Triumf. The Defence Ministry under Manohar Parrikar in 2016, had approved the procurement of five S-400 missile systems and the announcement of the same was made during Putin’s visit to India. The deal is estimated at around Rs 40,000 crore. Though it was being said that there were issues with the pricing of the missile system, media reports said that officials from both the countries had been in constantly interacting with each other. If the deal is finalised, it would be one of the biggest arms contracts Indian had ever had with Russia.
There is a massive push for the ‘Make in India’ initiative in the defence sector, as it remains to be one of the primary concerns of the Government of India. However, a recent report by a Stockholm based think tank says that India continues to top the list of arms importers in the world. Though the SIPRI report says that India has diversified its source of the arsenal, Russia still remains the primary source of arms for India. Apart from the attempt to conclude the impending S-400 Triumf air defence system deal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s visit to Moscow, will also table discussions on Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), reported IE.
India is likely to deploy the S-400 Triumf on the China and Pakistan borders. The deployment would affect the geopolitical strategies of all the three countries. Given the fact that the Chinese already have S-400 missile systems, some question the utility of the acquiring the missile technology. However, experts believe that with powering our arsenal with the Russsian anti-aircraft weapon system will not just help counter Pakistan, but would also act as a deterrent factor along the Chinese border.
All you need to know about S-400 Triumf!
The S-400 Triumf is a medium and long-range anti-aircraft weapon system (AAMS). It is a multifunctional AAMS with brings together anti-aircraft missile system, launcher, radar & target detection system and the control centre. It is capable of bringing down aerial targets with a proximity of very close to very long range. It can use five different missile types to destroy targets at an approximate range of 40 to 400 km at the altitude of up to 3000 meters.
The missile system was developed by the Russian state-owned company called Almaz-Antey Corporation. Approved on 28th April 2007, S-400 was an upgrade of S-300 missile system. The S-400 Triumf has multifunction radar complex which includes altitude radar system, launching system with four anti-aircraft guided missiles and mobile tower for antenna checkpoint. The Russians also claim that the missile system is capable of effectively targeting strategic aircraft, special purpose aircraft for electronic warfare, cruise missiles, stealth aircraft and also spy planes.
Several foreign nations are interested in Russian developed AAMS. Apart from India, the S-400 Triumf attracted the China, Iraq, Qatar, Algeria, Belarus, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. It was reported that the Russians started their S-400 delivery to the Chinese in early 2014 under a government to government contract. However, both the nations continue to not reveal the exact number of units and types of missile that Russia has dispatched to China. Turkey, a NATO member has shown a keen interest in purchasing the S-400 missile system. It has also demanded that Russia transfer the missile technology. But, it remains unclear as to when the delivery is likely to commence.