India and Russia struck a deal in late 2018 for the delivery of five S-400 squadrons

The S-400 system missile defence system, although still untested in a real war scenario, is believed to be as or more effective than any other anti-aircraft system in the market today

The S-400 Triumf, also known as the SA-21 Growler, is one of the most sophisticated anti-aircraft missile systems in the global market, possessing a range of 400 km, and capable of intercepting targets at altitudes as high as 27 km

Manufactured by the state-owned Almaz-Antey, the S-400 has been specifically designed to destroy cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, drones, and fighter aircraft

Although respected as a formidable weapon that provides numerous tactical advantages, the S-400 is still largely untested in a real war situation

Addressing a group of CEOs of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) from the Russian defence space, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh encouraged Russian manufacturers to take advantage of the ‘Make in India’ initiative, also highlighting India’s rise in the World Bank’s ‘Ease of doing business’ index. During his trip to Moscow, Singh was also expected to check on the progress of the Russian S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile (SAM) system that India inked a deal to purchase in October 2018. India and Russia struck a US$5.43 billion deal in late 2018 for the delivery of five squadrons of the S-400 system.

The S-400's Capabilities 

The S-400 Triumf, also known as the SA-21 Growler, is one of the most sophisticated anti-aircraft missile systems in the global market, possessing a range of 400 km, and capable of intercepting targets at altitudes as high as 27 km. Launched in 2007, the system comes fully equipped with a control hub, and numerous missile launch components, allowing for the integration of up to 12 launchers. 

Manufactured by Russia's state-owned Almaz-Antey, the S-400 has been specifically designed to destroy cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, drones, and fighter aircraft. Costing significantly less than French or US-made alternatives, it has already been exported to China and Turkey, with 13 other countries also showing interest. 

Military experts have stated that the Russian anti-aircraft system is as or more capable than its Western counterparts. In being highly modular in construction, and extremely mobile, the S-400 can be quickly deployed and made ready to engage targets within a matter of minutes. It is a huge upgrade on its predecessor, the S-300, integrating new targeting apparatus like command and control and autonomous detection, and multi-function radar, that doubles its effectiveness in real-world conflict scenarios.

Moreover, its modular construction, allows it to be fitted with short-range (40 km), medium-range (150 km) and long-range (200 – 400 km) munitions. The long-range 40N6 missile that the S-400 is capable of firing is what truly separates it from competitor systems like the US Patriot PAC-3 MS, that can only engage targets at distances of 100 km or less. 

Although respected as a formidable weapon that provides numerous tactical advantages, the S-400 is still largely untested in a real war situation. Russia had the opportunity to show off the capabilities of the S-400 systems it had stationed in Syria, in April 2018, against US Tomahawk missiles, but refrained from doing so.

It is also likely to lose its status as the most cutting-edge system in the market, with the introduction of Russia’s S-500 system, scheduled for launch in 2020. In June this year, Russian Trade Minister, Denis Maturov, stated that the S-500, or ‘Prometheus’, was already ready for mass production.