India eyes safer skies with Russian S-400 'Triumf' air defence missile systems

NEW DELHI: In what could be a game-changing arms acquisition, India is planning to acquire the new-generation Russian S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems that can destroy incoming hostile aircraft, stealth fighters, missiles and drones at ranges of up to 400-km.

Sources say the defence acquisitions council (DAC), chaired by Manohar Parrikar, will "soon" take up the proposal moved by the IAF to purchase around a dozen S-400 long-range systems.

"The project is at an initial stage. But it will be a government-to-government contract when it is finalised, with the S-400 systems being inducted over several years," said a defence ministry source.

The procurement proposal comes ahead of Parrikar's impending visit to Russia, which will be followed by the Modi-Putin summit in Moscow in December.

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It also comes around a year after China sealed a $3-billion deal with Russia for acquisition of six S-400 batteries. China is slated to get the batteries, which has been designated `SA-21 Growler' by Nato, and rivals the anti-ballistic missile capabilities of the US Patriot PAC-3 system, from 2017 onwards.

Countries locked in territorial disputes with China in the East and South China Seas, ranging from Japan and Taiwan to Vietnam and the Philippines, are all worried at the prospect of the People's Liberation Army getting such a force-multiplier to dominate the airspace.

India obviously is also wary of China acquiring such a military capability , even if it is defensive in nature, since it can make all the difference during a conflict.

India is now belatedly trying to plug the gaping holes in its airspace surveillance and defence network with progressive induction of a wide array of sensors and weapons.