The Wait is Over: The First Batch of S400 Is Here in India

The restructured backbone of Indian Missile Defense services has landed in India. The first installment of the Russian-made S-400 Triumf Missile Defense System has arrived this week, and the deployment preparation also began. According to updates, the first batch of the S400 will be deployed at Punjab to tackle the incoming missile and airborne threats originating from Pakistan.

The Deal:

The S400 deal between India and Russia was first signed back in October 2018 for INR 40,000 Cr or USD 4.8-5.3 Billion (Depending on the value of Indian Rupees with respect to US Dollar between 2018-2021.) During the deal, The US made, THAAD or Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system and the Patriot PAC3 were rejected by the Indian Armed Forces in favor of the S400 Triumf system.

In this deal with Russia, India will get 5 regiments of the S400 missile defense system or 40 Launchers. Each regiment or unit will have two batteries, four launchers, and about 1,000 missiles. The S400 surveillance radar with a range of 600 km, offering 360-degree coverage, can track multiple targets at once.

The Specifications and Specialties of S400 Triumf:

The S400, which India has bought, has five major components in each unit, and they will work as a 4+1 system.

1. A highly-advanced jam resistance panoramic radar system for target detection with 360-degree coverage.
2. Small Radar systems for target engagement.
3. The head of the system, a state-of-the-art command-and-control center.
4. Missile Launching Stations: 4 rocket barrels in every station containing various types of Missiles to tackle every possible threat and the Launchers.

The latest Morpheus Defense System, or 42S6 Morfey, is responsible for its own protection from enemy attacks. It is equipped with the 9M338K or RZV-MD short-range missiles.

The S400 systems will be equipped with various missiles to complete various tasks or, in other words, to tackle different airborne threats.

(Table Source: Wikipedia)

In easier words, the S400 can detect and identify a threat from a distance of 600 km around 9-10 seconds and can destroy a target located within 400 km from the launchers, flying at 60 km altitude even while flying at Hypersonic speed of Mach 14 speed. But some recent tests suggest it can destroy targets flying at even Mach 15 speed.

The S400 can identify 80 different targets and launch 160 missiles towards them. That 2 missiles per target. From a full regiment of S400, the 160 missiles can be launched within 5 minutes of detection, but the instruction manual in the package says 35 seconds is enough to do it. These are for incoming ballistic and cruise missiles.

The S400 can also track and destroy any modern fighter and bomber jets within its vicinity. From F-15 to F-35 Fighters and even the B2 Spirit Bomber is not safe from the S400’s Rader and Missiles. The latest Reconnaissance, Electronic Warfare Planes, and AWACs are not safe from it.

The 160 missiles can be reloaded within 15 minutes, and the whole setup is movable by road. The whole S400 system can move at a top speed of 60 km/h.

Implications With China:

China started getting its S400 systems back in January 2018. Currently, the PLA has deployed two regiments of S400 systems at the Hotan airbase located in Xinjiang, and the other regiment at Nyingchi airbase in China Occupied Tibet territories, very close to the border from Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, respectively. Two more regiments are suspected to be placed at Fujian and Shandong province to deter any attack originating from Taiwan (Not A Province of China). Therefore, the S400 systems will play a major balancing act in the region. Indian S400 deployment’s strategic location not only prevents Pakistan from making any areal move during wartime also provides early detection of any Chinese activities faster. Furthermore, it will strengthen the missile protection capabilities for our capital New Delhi.

Implications With Pakistan:

Basically Nothing! Pakistan’s capabilities to plunge their fighter jets into the ground even with the state-of-the-art F16 while fighting against MiG 21B is impeccable. So, in terms of Pakistani Areal threats, we are Golden! It’s not a false sense of hope or courage. This statement has been honored by our brave pilots of the Indian Air Force. But Pakistan has a fleet of nuclear and conventional missiles now, such as Babur, Ghaznavi, Shaheen, and Ghauri missiles. The Shaheen III can fly and hit up to 2,750 km, and it can carry nuclear weapons. But don’t fall for it range or category of MRBM because depending on the launching location, it can cover the entire India or hit us where it can hurt us the most. This is why the 1^st batch of the S400 systems are deployed in Punjab.

Implications With the USA:

After Donald Trump’s defeat in the US Elections, 2020, the Biden administration’s Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned India in March 2021. Under Joe Biden’s Administration, the USA may want to but may not apply CAATSA sanctions against India due to two major reasons.

1. In 2018, President Donald Trump amended the US Constitution, which allows India to keep purchasing weapons from Russia without getting sanctions, as India is a historic weapons importer from Russia.
2. India is a member of QUAD and the USA, Japan, and Australia. The sole purpose of this group is to counter China. Now sanctioning India over S400 will allow China to make India weak, and the USA will lose its grip in the region or whatever is left of it.

But Joe Biden’s and his son Hunter Biden’s close relationships with China or CCP seems already trying to sabotage US Supremacy in almost every continent. It looks like Joe Biden is leaving the fields to China. Take Afghanistan, for an example. Donald Trump showed a specific route in the Taiwan issue, but now Joe Biden’s moves are extremely ambiguous. But all we can do is wait and see. Last year India bought oil from Iran and undermined the sanctions imposed by the USA. So, India has changed over the years, and a sanction imposed by the USA may create huge trouble for India in the short term, but in the long term, the USA will pay the price, most likely in Economic spaces.

Further Developments:

Although the Military and Government are procuring top-notch modern defense systems, DRDO did not stop developing the missiles and missile defense systems. The indigenously developed Aakash-NG, QRSAM, XRSAM jointly developed Barak series missiles are also deployed and protecting various military and civil assets.

In 2017, India also signed a $2 Billion deal with Israel to get the best air defense system currently active in the world, the Iron Dome Defense Systems. If this deal gets completed, we don’t have to worry about missiles, drones, or airplanes.

Conclusions:

The Indian Ballistic Missile Defense Program is currently in full swing. Newer technologies, the latest scientific breakthroughs, and a willing government’s backing are all fueling our Missile Defense projects. We started from Prithvi back in 1999. It was known as Phase I. Phase I has been completed, and Missiles like Prithvi, Aakash, Rudram, and highly advanced radar systems like the Swordfish are all result of it. Phase II is already underway and projected to be completed by 2024.