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 from Russia.
Fake news, and the creation of some generalist with no proper defence knowledge. India is interested in SHORAD, quick reaction short range SAM with mobility and our great generalist concluded that, google the S400 defence article and copied its content.
There is no need in India for S400, because for long range SAM, India already have potent barak 8/barak 2/barak NG jointly developed with the Israel. Now lets see what this S400 is all about, it is very long range SAM more that 200 km range and very powerful Radar, UHF/VHF and the range gives it some element of ABM feature against short range BM and cruise missiles. So why it was develop, for that first check why S-300 was developed, it was meant to target high altitute, hypersonic Recce aircraft, which only U.S and west posses. During cold war, the US and west started lot of development in electronic warfare and invested heavily in the development of EW Jammer, against Soviet radar, which defeats the Sam threat. To counter that the Soviet developed, S-300, aka BUK which goes up at very high altitute and attack the Aircraft from the TOP rather that from Bottom. The advantage of this flight profile was that the SAM could be launched in the clouds which could not be visualy noticed by the pilot and the over the head profile neglates any Jamming of the active radar guidance of the missile as the jammers waves direction is down and forward. S-400 is the improved version of S-300 with AESA based Radar and fire-control, which is even effective against the so called 5th Generation fighter aircraft and low RCS aircraft.
The only countries that needs this system is Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. Syria too would like to add this to counter the superior Israeli air dominance.
Since India don't have the threat from the US/WEST and Russia, there is no requirement since the requirement which India have is complimented with BARAK and Akash SAM. But there is need for the SHORAD till Maitri or the india version of SPYDER is developed.