India is set to receive the longest-range S-400 interceptor missile from Russia, capable of engaging targets around 380 kilometers (236 miles) away.
A total of 120 40N-60 missiles were ordered by New Delhi following the 2019 Balakot air strikes by the Indian Air Force inside Pakistan, according to Economic Times.
The need for a longer-range, surface-to-air missile was felt during the aftermath of the air operation wherein India lost a fighter jet in retaliatory strikes by the Pakistan Air Force.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Moscow trip earlier this month pushed for the 40N-60’s early delivery, along with the remaining two S-400 air defense systems, Economic Times wrote.
India procured six S-400s in 2018 for $5.5 billion, with the remaining systems expected to arrive in 2026.
40N-60 Missile
Multiple factors are attributed to the missile’s delayed delivery, chiefly the COVID pandemic and the Ukraine war, Economic Times stated.
Designed and developed by Russian missile maker MKB Fakel, the 40N-60 can reach an altitude of 30 kilometers (18.6 miles).
The missile’s first batch was inducted in 2018, with an expected planned production of over 1,000 through 2027.
