India is planning to procure give additional squadron of the Russian-made S-400 missile defence system, which proved to be very effective during Operation Sindoor. The expansion of India-Russia defence ties and procurement of S-400 squadrons are likely to be one of the key agendas during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. While Moscow is also pushing New Delhi to consider its fifth-generation Sukhoi-57 fighter jets, India has yet to take a final call on that proposal.
During the upcoming PM Modi- President Putin summit in December, India and Russia are set to discuss key defence, economic and strategic priorities.
New Delhi is expected to push for five additional regiments of the S-400 missile defence system, along with expanded cooperation in oil and energy, to strengthen long-term energy security. The two sides are also likely to formalise trade and education MoUs.
Meanwhile, Moscow is likely to push New Delhi to be involved in the Sukhoi-57 fighter jet programme. The Su-57 is considered Russia's answer to the American F-35 fighter jet.
According to sources in the Russian government, Moscow wants New Delhi to be a key partner, and not just a buyer in the development of Su-57, the state-of-the-art fifth-generation stealth aircraft. However, an official decision is awaited on the matter.
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When asked if India is looking at buying additional systems of the S-400 weapon system, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, earlier this year, did not give a direct reply. "Obviously, that has done good. So, there's a requirement to have more such (systems); there is no limit to numbers that you can buy. Again, I'm keeping quiet on what the plan (is) whether we want to buy more, how much etc," he said at a press conference on Friday.
"It has proved to be a good weapon system. We have our own system also being developed. So we will take a call on that," he said. The S-400 systems played a crucial role during Operation Sindoor.
India signed a USD 5.43 billion deal with Russia in 2018 for five squadrons of the S-400 missile system, a state-of-the-art air defence platform capable of engaging multiple aerial threats at long ranges. Three squadrons have already been delivered.
Re-christened as “Sudarshan Chakra” in India, the S-400 air defence system is capable of detecting and destroying missiles and drones. Amid recent tensions between India and Pakistan, the S-400 system successfully neutralised drones fired by Pakistan in retaliation to Operation Sindoor.