Russia begins delivery of second regiment of S-400 missile system to India

New Delhi, April 16: The pressure from the United States (US) notwithstanding, Russia has started delivery of the second regiment of the S-400 air defence missile system to India. This comes amid the war between Russia and Ukraine and the sanctions imposed by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries.

 

 

The first regiment was raised in December last year and is stationed at an Indian Air Force base in Punjab, duly tasked to tackle air-borne threats from Pakistan and China. Reports suggest that the delivery will be completed by the month-end and it is expected to be deployed by June, most likely in the North-East.

 

 

India had bought the system for over US$ 5 billion in 2018, in a deal that became contentious amid a threat of sanctions from the US on countries engaging in defence deals with Russia. Apart from that, India had bought five units of the system in 2018 and had made the first tranche of the payment, $800 million, a year later.

 

The S-400 is among the most advanced air-defence systems in the world, with a range of around 400 km. It is capable of protecting its air defence bubble against rockets, missiles, cruise missiles and even aircraft. The system is already available to China, which has deployed it along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh amid the 18-month military standoff.

 

 

During the standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), China had deployed the S-300, a version lower than S-400, facing eastern Ladakh. The deliveries of the S-400 are on even as the US threatens countries of imposing CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) for dealing with Russia. The CATTSA was passed in the US in 2017.