Amid the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the vitality of the long-range air defence system has been underlined by the inability of the latter to successfully carry out attacks on the territory of the former.
This is because Moscow's long-range surface-to-air missile systems, such as the S-400, have been able to neutralise Ukrainian attacks, including its aircraft and missiles, within a range of 400 kilometres.
Against this backdrop, Indian military planners have realised that a missile system like the S-400 is important to secure the South Asian nation's skies.
According to Indian Air Force (IAF) veterans, the S-400 multiplies the capabilities of the country's military because such a system has never existed in the world before.
The latest S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems, which entered service with the Baltic Fleet air defense system in the Kaliningrad Region
© Sputnik
/ Game Changer For India
In a conversation earlier this year with Sputnik India, Kapil Kak, a former vice-chief of the IAF, stated that the S-400 has the capability to neutralise around 60 enemy targets simultaneously.
"This is a huge capability because the systems we had before could not take on more than one target or could only engage a maximum of two targets at a time. Now their capability has increased 30-fold. That makes it a game changer," Kak stressed.
On the other hand, retired Wing Commander Venkatesh Balasubramanian pointed out that the S-400 can simultaneously engage different types of air threats such as missiles, drones, helicopters, transport aircraft, fighter aircraft missiles, etc.
"The S-400 air defence system is highly mobile and can be quickly deployed to new locations, making it a valuable asset for India in a war-like situation where agility and flexibility are crucial. The deployment time of the S-400 is reported to be around five minutes, which means it can respond quickly to any potential threat," Balasubramanian said.
Russia's S-400 advanced air defense systems deployed in Syria
© Sputnik / Dmitry Vinogradov
/ How Many S-400s India Operates at Present?
New Delhi signed a $5.4 billion deal with Moscow in 2018 to acquire five S-400 air defence systems.
As of October 2023, three formations of the S-400 Triumph air defence system have been delivered to India.
According to Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhary, the remaining two systems are set to be delivered by the end of next year.
Russian S-400 air defence system launches missile during drills
© Sputnik / Alexey Kudenko
/ Where Are S-400 Systems Deployed in India?
Media reports indicate that India's military has strategically deployed three units of S-400 systems across various regions in response to a comprehensive threat assessment.
The first S-400 has been deployed in the northwestern state of Punjab, which shares a heavily guarded border with Pakistan.
One of its eight northeastern states, namely Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya, is reported to be the location where the second system was deployed. Among them, Arunachal Pradesh shares a long-disputed boundary with China.
The third S-400 has been deployed in the western desert state of Rajasthan, which shares a land border with Pakistan.