India will receive the remaining two squadrons of S-400 air defense systems from Russia by August 2026, a delay of two years.
Russia delivered the first three squadrons by 2023, promising to deliver the rest by 2024.
“The production of S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile systems is being carried out according to schedule,” Interfax quoted the head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugaev as saying.
“The delivery of the equipment of the S-400 Triumf system is expected to be completed within the agreed time frame.”
Delayed Delivery
The Ukraine war, however, delayed the delivery, according to the Asian News International.
“The Russian side has informed that they will now supply the two remaining squadrons of the highly capable air defense systems by August 2026,” the outlet quoted an unnamed defense source as saying.
Indian Air Defense Systems
India bought the system in 2018 for $5.4 billion, receiving and operationalizing the first three squadrons along its borders with China and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the South Asian nation has inducted the indigenous short-to-medium range air defense systems MR-SAM and Akash and the Israeli Spyder.
It is also working on a long-range surface-to-air missile system under the project Kusha.
The S-400
An upgrade of the S-300 family of air defense systems, the S-400 is capable of countering a range of aerial threats up to 400 kilometers (248 miles) away.
Russia inducted the system into service in 2007.