In a big boost to Indian defence artillery, India and Russia on Friday finalised the crucial $5 billion S-400 air missile defence system deal during Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meet in New Delhi. India will become only the third country after Russia and China to own the missile system. The new missiles will be placed in the National Capital Region and the Mumbai-Baroda Industrial Corridor. The S-400 deal is also one of the largest military deals since 2011, at that time the IAF had purchased 140 SU-30 MKI fighter planes from Russia.
The deal also gains significance due to its speculated consequences for New Delhi after the imposition of US Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on Iran and North Korea. The US law, CAATSA, restricts defence purchases from Russia. India has been in talks with the US administration to ensure any fallouts.
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Here are some must-know facts about the S 400 missile system:
– Very critical to IAF’s India Integrated Command and Control System (IACCS)
– Useful for offensive strategy
– The system consists of four separate missiles
– It has the capability of engaging 36 targets at one simultaneously
– They will cover the entire range and altitude envelope from close quarters to nearly 570 km
– A single unit has 8 launchers, 112 missiles & command & support vehicles.
– Each unit will have up to 32 missiles on launchers at any time.
– The launchers contain the 48N6 missile series
– The missiles have high-explosive fragmentation warhead.
– Tombstone radar goes deep up to nearly 600 km away
– Made by government owned Almaz-Antey, NATO has designated it as SA-21 Growler
– It is considered as a major threat because of its long range.
– Can spot enemy air dominance and help ground forces
– Drones too can be destroyed by this
– It is already deployed in Syria by the Russia
– Russia’s First Air Defence Corps got this missile in 2007.
– The S 400 is comparable to the Patriot anti-ballistic and anti-aircraft missile system
– China is in the process of deployed this system
