Russia to deliver remaining two S-400 air defence system to India in 2026: Sources

Russia will deliver the remaining two S-400 air defence missile squadrons to India by the third quarter of 2026, sources said.

“The two remaining missile squadrons of the S-400 air defence missile system are going to be supplied by August 2026 and will help in making our air defence system further stronger,” defence sources informed India Today.

Russia was supposed to deliver the five squadrons by early 2024, but the supplies suffered delays due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

India has already received three squadrons of the S-400 missile systems out of the five it had ordered in 2018.

The Indian Air Force has fully activated all the three S-400 air defence missile squadrons that have been received from Russia.

“The type of deployments that have been made suggest that we have at the moment almost 1.5 squadrons each on China and Pakistan front,” the sources said.

The Air Force is also going to be the lead agency for the Long Range Surface to Air Missile air defence system, which will further boost Indian preparedness along both the China and Pakistan borders.

The system would be ably complimented by the existing air defence systems, including the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) of the three services, and is already operational.

The first three squadrons have already been operationalised in the northern and eastern sectors respectively, and have taken part in aerial exercises too, defence sources said.

The system with its missiles of different ranges can take on enemy ballistic and cruise missiles, fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles flying at distances up to 400 kilometres.