Russia has started delivering the S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems to India, the deliveries are going as planned.
Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Dmitry Shugaev told Sputnik ahead of the Dubai Airshow. “The supplies of the S-400 air defense system to India have started and are proceeding on schedule,” Shugaev said. The S-400 has already entered service in China and Turkey. Russia and India signed a contract on the delivery of S-400s in October 2018.
In August, the head of Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheev, told Sputnik that negotiations on the supply of S-400 air defense systems were underway with seven countries in the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region, and Africa.
Also, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is likely to visit India in India-Russia bilateral summit next month where Putin will be visiting the nation in December and meeting PM Narendra Modi. The date of the visit could be on December 6, though it remains to be confirmed.
What is the S-400 Triumf?
The surface-to-air missile system or anti-aircraft missile system is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise, and ballistic missiles which also can also be used against ground targets. The S-400 is able to intercept cruise missiles at a range of about 40 km due to their low-altitude flight paths.
The S-400 Triumf was previously known as the S-300 PMU-3, and is a mobile, surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed in the 1990s by Russia’s Almaz Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering as an upgrade to the S-300 family.
On April 28, 2007, the S-400 went into service and the first battalion of the newest surface-to-air missile systems assumed combat duty on August 6.
China was the first foreign buyer to broker a government deal with Russia in 2014; while Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India, and Belarus have all acquired, or expressed interest, in the system ever since.
