Highlights:
- In 2018, India entered into an agreement with Russia for a $5 billion deal to purchase the S-400 missile system.
- Disregarding warnings of possible complications in US sanctions, India decided to go ahead with the deal.
- The S-400 missile system is extremely advanced in terms of its operational capability to furnish a continuous and potent air defence system to a vast area.
Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov revealed on Monday that the S-400 missile deal signed with India in 2018 has been put into effect. Lavrov who is in India at the moment to attend the India-Russia summit and the inaugural 2+2 dialogue highlighted the practicality of the deal for India’s defence capability.
Other than the symbolic implications, the S-400 deal holds a significant practical application for India’s defence potentiality, added Lavrov.
The visiting Foreign Minister also communicated on how the United States had left no stone unturned in sabotaging the cooperation and compelling India to obey American orders in line with the American vision of development for the region.
2018 witnessed an India-Russia agreement to purchase 5 units of the S-400 Missile booster. Notwithstanding warnings from Trump and possible complications in receiving US sanctions, both parties decided to proceed with the contract.
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The US has sanctioned Turkey under the CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) permitting the purchase of a batch of S-400 missiles from Russia. Ahead of the US sanctions on Turkey, it was anticipated that Washington might thrust similar disciplinary measures on India. US banned Ankara from its ultra-modern F-35 fighter jet program under the CAATSA.
The missile system is plausibly going to be deployed in locations neighbouring the western border to cater to Pakistani and Chinese threats.
The state-of-the-art S-400 missile is expected to tackle threats from up to 400 km. initial units of the system referred to as “booster dose” by the then Air Chief BS Dhanoa has been deployed in India. Special training has been imparted to Indian personnel for the usage of the system.
