Keeping India's skies safe: How S-400 tracks and targets enemy missiles
After India struck terror camps in nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir early in the morning on May 7, the nation retaliated by attempting to target several military installations in India using drones and missiles. However, these attempts were thwarted by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and the S-400 Triumf or 'Sudarshan Chakra' air defence systems.The S-400 Triumf is a mobile surface-to-air defence system developed by Russia and is considered one of the best globally. Russia first deployed the S-400 for combat duty in 2007 and is currently developing its successor, the S-500.advertisementIndia contracted five S-400 regiments from Russia in October 2018 for $5.43 billion. As of May 2025, three regiments have been delivered and are operational. The remaining two, expected by August 2026, were delayed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia delivered the first squadron (consisting of two batteries) by the end of 2021 — one for the Adampur Air Force Station and the other for the Halwara station. Each S-400 battery typically consists of eight Transporter Erector Launchers (TEL), two radars, and one command post.The S-400 is a highly mobile missile system that can be deployed in just five minutes and is resistant to jamming. It can engage and intercept aerial targets like aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles at a range of up to 400 kilometres and altitudes of 30 kilometres.advertisementThe system can track up to 300 targets and attack 36 at a time. A TEL vehicle can carry up to four launch tubes, holding several types of missiles. The S-400 is equipped with four missile types: the 40N6E (400 km range), the 48N6E3 (250 km), the 9M96E2 (120 km), and the 9M96E (40 km).India recently deployed a battery of the S-400 in the Siliguri Corridor, also called Chicken's Neck, in West Bengal to counter heightened air activity from China and Bangladesh. There are also plans to boost the system further. According to the Indian Defence Research Wing, on July 19, 2024, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first bilateral visit to Russia after being elected for the third time, Russia renewed its proposal for joint production of its latest S-500 air defence system.Must Watch
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