From Pechora to S-400, Russian air defence systems India used to repel Pakistan's aerial incursions

The Print

14-05-2025

Russia continues to be India's largest arms supplier, with New Delhi long relying on Moscow's defence technology to build the backbone of its military power including the air defence systems.
Among the threats were the swarms of drones—small, agile and designed to exploit radar blind spots that posed a unique challenge. But across the western front including Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu, India's integrated air defence network knocked them out of the sky as well as intercepted more sophisticated threats like Pakistan's guided artillery rocket system, Fatah II.
New Delhi: As Pakistan launched drones, loitering munitions, and long-range weapons last week, India's Russian-origin arsenal held firm. From legacy air defence guns to modern surface-to-air missile systems, the network of Soviet-era and contemporary Russian platforms formed the backbone of India's multi-layered shield, blunting the aerial threat between 7 and 10 May.
On Monday, Director General Air Operations, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, described the country's air defence as a 'wall impossible to breach.'
The multi-tiered air defence (AD) network, a mix of legacy systems and newly acquired game changers, both indigenous and imported, thwarted multiple waves of Pakistani attacks on scores of locations from May 7 to 10, minimising damage to military infrastructure and civilian areas, Air Marshal Bharti said at the special briefing on Operation Sindhoor.
ThePrint looks at the Russian systems that played a critical role alongside other weapons during the mass airspace incursion carried out by Pakistan over the past few nights.
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S-400, India's 'Sudarshan Chakra'
At the heart of India's defensive shield was the Russian S-400 Triumf system, the country's long-range air defence spearhead. Dubbed the 'Sudarshan Chakra', the S-400 is capable of engaging a wide array of aerial threats, from stealth aircraft and drones to cruise and ballistic missiles, at ranges up to 400 km.
With radar capable of tracking targets up to 600 km away, each S-400 battery can simultaneously engage up to 36 threats across multiple altitudes and velocities, deploying four types of missiles to form a layered interception envelope.
Multiple reports point out that the S-400 was key in successfully intercepting Pakistan's indigenously developed Fatah II guided artillery rocket near Sirsa, Haryana Saturday.
Anticipating the S-400's engagement envelope, Pakistan had reportedly relocated its F-16 squadrons to bases further inland, an implicit acknowledgement of the system's deterrent value.
India had signed a Rs 35,000 crore deal with Russia for five S-400 squadrons in 2018. Three squadrons have been delivered, while the remaining two are expected by 2026, a delay attributed to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Pakistan had falsely claimed to have destroyed an S-400 system at Adampur air base. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the base during which photos and video footage showed the air defence system in the background, effectively debunking the claim.
ZU-23 air defence guns
As drones and low-flying munitions entered India's radar perimeter, the short-range air defence systems, many of them from Soviet-era but modernised by Indian defence firms, came into action.
Among them was the ZU-23-2, a twin-barrel 23 mm anti-aircraft gun introduced by India in the 1960s. Despite its age, the ZU-23 remains a mainstay of India's point defence, particularly for securing air bases, ammunition depots and forward posts.
Sources in the defence establishment say that across Udhampur, Samba and Pathankot, ZU-23s were responsible for shooting down dozens of enemy drones.
Mounted on towed platforms or 8×8 trucks in high-threat zones, these guns are capable of firing up to 2,000 rounds per minute and quickly form a dense flak barrier within a 2.5 km range ideal for engaging drones and low-altitude threats.
The upgraded versions of the ZU-23 fleet have replaced manual controls with an all-electric system and EOFCS (electro-optical fire control systems), enabling autonomous operation. Moreover, the new configuration includes day-and-night imaging cameras, laser rangefinders and digital fire control computers, allowing precise targeting even in extreme weather and terrain.
Schilka air defence system
In areas where mobility is key, the Schilka system or the ZSU-23-4, provided self-propelled, radar-guided air defence. Mounted on a tracked chassis and equipped with four 23 mm autocannons and onboard radar, the Schilka can quickly track and destroy multiple targets in real time.
Originally designed for Soviet mobile formations, the Indian variant has been modernised by Bharat Electronics Limited. In 2011, the state-owned company received a contract to upgrade approximately 90 of the Army's ageing Schilka systems, first acquired in the early 1980s.
The upgraded variant includes a new 3D active phased-array radar, enhanced electro-optical sights, and improved electronic warfare capabilities, vastly extending its utility on the modern battlefield.
Pechora surface-to-air missile
Another legacy system reported to play a pivotal role was the Pechora, or S-125 Neva/Pechora, a staple of India's air defence network since the 1970s. A medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) system, the Pechora is known for its reliability.
The Pechora's presence, according to the defence sources, provided critical coverage at sites where newer systems were either engaged elsewhere or held in reserve.
The Pechora employs radar-guided V-600 missiles and uses the 4R90 Yatagan radar with five parabolic antennas to detect, track and engage low- to mid-altitude threats. With a detection range of 100 km and interception capability at altitudes up to 25 km, it can simultaneously target two threats at speeds of up to 900 m/s.
The seamless integration of long-range missile systems, radar-guided mobile units and point-defence guns into a unified command network is what created the 'wall' that Air Marshal Bharti referenced.
It's a doctrine of layered lethality, built over decades, that continues to hold. While India increasingly pivots towards indigenisation and Israeli technologies, the Russian-made platforms that formed the core of its air defence response are a reminder of a strategic partnership that still delivers under fire.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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