Russia Starts Delivery of S-400 Missile Systems to India

The Indian military has started receiving S-400 Triumf air defense systems ordered in October 2018 from Russia.

"The supplies of the S-400 air defense system to India have started and are proceeding on schedule," Dmitry Shugaev, Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), was quoted as saying by state-owned DD India.

The S-400 was contracted for by India in a deal worth around $5.43 billion (INR 40,000 crore) and five squadrons would be provided to the country for tackling air threats.

The S-400 has already entered service in China and Turkey. The former has deployed two S-400 squadrons at Ngari Gar Gunsa and Nyingchi airbase in Tibet, across Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh respectively.

The first squadron will be “suitably deployed in the western sector” to tackle threats from both Pakistan and China, sources told Times of India on Sunday. As per the report, “thousands of containers and packages” of the first S-400 squadron, including two missile batteries, long-range acquisition and engagement radars and all-terrain transporter-erector vehicles are being to India through the air and sea routes. Once the delivery is complete, the S-400s will be assembled, erected and then undergo acceptance trails in front of Russian experts.

According to the Indian media, first elements of the S-400 system have reached Indian soil but all key parts are yet to be delivered. The deliveries have come ahead of President of Russia Vladimir Putin's scheduled visit to India on December 6 for a bilateral meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In October, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal (ACM) V. R. Chaudhari had said the “first regiment should be inducted within this year.”

Vyacheslav Dzirkaln, the company's deputy General director, told Interfax on Saturday that India is “ready to accept, deploy and start operation of the S-400.” One batch of Indian technicians completed training in July this year while another was in the process of wrapping up its training, he added.

Threat of U.S. Sanctions

The threat of sanctions under Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) against India for buying S-400s does not loom large. U.S. Senators and India Caucus Co-Chairs Mark Warner and John Cornyn urged U.S. President Joe Biden to waive these sanctions, arguing that India was an important ally and that its purchase of Russian equipment was declining. Warner and Cornyn added that the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) allows the President to issue a sanctions waiver if doing so is in the national interest and if it would not affect U.S.’ national security, its military operations and compromise its defense systems.

India’s PM Meets Senator Cornyn

Modi met with a high-power U.S. Congressional delegation on November 13. Official statements issued after Saturday’s meeting avoided mention of the S-400 matter.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the delegation led by Senator John Cornyn discussed issues related to the developments in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region. “Prime Minister appreciated the consistent support of the U.S. Congress in deepening the India-U.S. strategic partnership,” an MEA press release said.

Following the meeting Senator Cornyn, said that both sides discussed "pandemic and supply chain stability.”