India to buy world’s most advanced missile defence system from Russia

• Previously known as S-300PMU-3, S-400 is a new generation anti-aircraft weapon system developed by Russia’s Almaz Central Design Bureau as an upgrade of the S-300 family.
• It is currently in service with the Russian Armed Forces.
• India-Russia military technical cooperation has evolved from a simple buyer-seller framework to one involving joint research, development and production of advanced defence technologies and systems.
• The S-400 is designed to protect nuclear reactors, population centres and government installations.
• The system can also deflect enemy missile more than 400 km away.
• The S-400 basically has three kinds of missiles, with different capabilities, that can fly at supersonic and hypersonic speeds to intercept all kinds of targets at ranges from 120 to 400 km.
• The S-400 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system can “radar lock and shoot down” stealth fifth-generation fighters like the American F-35 jets.
• The S-400 Triumf is capable of countering all air attack weapons, including tactical and strategic aircraft, ballistic missiles and hypersonic targets such as the US F-35 fighter jet.
• The S-400 can engage up to 36 targets simultaneously with as many as 72 missiles at altitudes of five meters to 30 km.
• On his visit to Russia, defence minister Manohar Parrikar, hopes to finalise the S-400 deal before Narendra Modi visits Russia in December this year.
• The biggest concern is on the Multi Role Transport Aircraft (MTA) project that was firmed up in 2009.
• Parrikar’s visit to Russia and clinching this deal might seem as an attempt by India to plug the holes in its airspace surveillance and defence network with progressive induction of a wide array of sensors and weapons.

Source: EconomicTimes, FirstPost