A Su-35S fighter jet of the Russian Aerospace Forces firing a R-37M missile during a test. (Russian Ministry of Defense)
India’s top military officials will meet their Russian counterparts later this week to consider either joint manufacturing of S-400 long-range air defense systems or the purchase of five more such systems from Moscow, the Hindustan Times reported on October 7.
According to the news outlet, the deal is expected to be given a green light before Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in India on December 5 for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Under a $5.43 billion deal signed in 2018, India purchased four S-400 systems from Russia. Each squadron is composed of two batteries. Each battery, or firing unit, is equipped with six launchers, a radar and a control center with up to 128 missiles.
The Indian systems, last two of which are set to be delivered by the end of next year, are armed with multiple missiles, including the 9M96E2 with a range of 120 kilometers, 48N6E2 with a range of 200 kilometers, 48N6E3 with a range of 240 kilometers and 40N6E which can engage targets as far as 380 kilometers.
The Hindustan Times said that the two sides have already agreed on the cost of the additional five systems, noting that three of the five systems may be purchased directly from Russia and the remaining ones built by Indian private sector companies under transfer of technology route.
People familiar with the matter told the outlet that the deal will be government to government with maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities set up in collaboration with the Indian private sector.
In August, Indian Air Force Chief Amar Preet Singh praised the performance of the S-400 during the May conflict with Pakistan, describing the system as a “game changer.”
Interestingly, the Hindustan Times’ report also revealed that India is also looking to purchase R-37M air-to-air missiles, with a range up to 400 kilometers, from Russia to make its fleet of Su-30 MKI fighters jets more potent.
To integrate the missile, the fighter jets will likely need to get a whole new radar, possibly the Irbis-E multi-mode, hybrid passive electronically scanned array radar from the Su-35.
India is seeking the missile to counter the threat posed by Pakistan’s J-10 and JF-17 fighter jets which performed very well during the May conflict, using Chinese-made PL-15 air-to-air missiles with a range of over 200 kilometers. India’s French-made Rafale fighter jets performed poorly, and at least one was even shot down.
The S-400 and R-37M deal would affirm Russia’s position as one of the main military partners of India after years of Western attempts to pull New Delhi away from Moscow. In fact, India is currently facing unprecedented pressure from the U.S. to cut down on trade with Russia.
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how much is that in rupees?