According to a highly placed source in the Indian defence industry, an agreement between an Indian company and the Russian manufacturer Almaz-Antey for the maintenance and repair of S-400 air defense systems in India is almost finalised.
This will be a joint venture between Indian and Russian companies: the manufacturing company will provide the necessary technical assistance to the Indian partner and help set up the required infrastructure.
The S-400 squadrons will be deployed in several locations across India, and two such centres could be established in the country if required. In the 2nd phase, preparations will be made to start production of the necessary parts for the system in India.
For this purpose, the Russian company will also form a joint venture with the Indian company and provide technical assistance. The technology required for this task will also be provided by the Russian company. The work is expected to be completed by 2028.
In 2018, India signed a deal with Russia to buy five squadrons of the S-400 for around 400 million rupees. Of these, three squadrons have already been delivered to the Indian Air Force and deployed near Pathankot, near Siliguri and in Rajasthan. The remaining two squadrons are expected to be delivered within the next 12-24 months.
The S-400 air defence system is capable of intercepting any type of air attack from a distance of 2 km to 400 km. With the deployment of this air defence system, any air attack from China or Pakistan can be completely thwarted.