India may get more S-400 air defence units from Russia after Operation Sindoor success: Report
The proposed procurement may figure in talks between New Delhi and Moscow during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit in December.
Additional batches of the Russian-made S-400 missile defence system may be on the horizon for India during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi in December.
According to sources cited in a PTI report, India is considering procuring additional batches of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia, as the weapons proved very effective during Operation Sindoor. The report added that the proposed procurement may figure in talks between New Delhi and Moscow during Putin’s visit.
In addition to the S-400, India may be looking for an upgrade and buy the newer version, the S-500 missile defence system, PTI reported.
The first deal between India and Russia to buy the S-400 system was signed in 2018. The deal, worth $5 billion at the time, was for five units of the air defence system. Three of the five squadrons have been delivered.
During its first term, the Donald Trump administration warned India that proceeding with the contract may invite US sanctions under the provisions of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). However, the deal still went through.
What did the IAF chief say about buying additional missile defence system units?
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, the chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), did not give a direct reply when asked at a press conference on Friday if India was considering buying additional batches of the weapon system.
"Obviously, that has done good. So, there's a requirement to have more such (systems); there is no limit to numbers that you can buy. Again, I'm keeping quiet on what the plan (is) whether we want to buy more, how much etc," he told the media.
The IAF chief said that a call would be taken regarding the matter as India was also in the process of developing its own air defence system.
"It has proved to be a good weapon system. We have our own system also being developed. So we will take a call on that," he said.
