New Delhi: India is negotiating with Russia to buy missiles worth around Rs 10,000 crore for the S-400 air defence system. The Indian Air Force successfully used the system to shoot down six to seven Pakistani fighter jets and one spy plane over 300 km inside Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. The S-400 has been described by the Air Force as a game-changer.
“The Indian Air Force is looking to buy the missiles in significant numbers to further bolster its air defence capabilities. The discussions with the Russian side are already on in this regard,” defence sources told ANI.
The Defence Ministry is expected to take up the proposal for approval at a Defence Acquisition Council meeting on October 23.
India and Russia had signed a deal in 2018 to acquire five squadrons of S-400 systems. Three squadrons have been delivered and are operational. India is now requesting Russia to supply the remaining two squadrons. The delivery of the fourth squadron was delayed due to the Russia-Ukraine war.
Discussions also include the induction of additional S-400 and S-500 air defence systems. The Russian military continues to produce equipment for its operations in Ukraine. India is exploring the purchase of new air-to-air missiles to strengthen its beyond visual range capability.
Further talks have focussed on enhancing the capabilities of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and their variants. India and Russia share close military ties. A significant portion of the Indian Air Force’s strike capability is of Russian origin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit India in December. Defence officials say military hardware cooperation will be a key agenda for the visit.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
