Immanuel
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Actually its this way.. S400 need is complementary to Rafale jets. Sam is always first strike and Jets second strike.
S400 SAM can be used as defensive or offensive based on the individual role assigned to it. For example its primary role is Airspace security guardian role in a multi tiered ABM shield for the country. Rafales with its omnirole (primarily i see them as DPSA) along with jags/Mirages complement Su30MKI/Mig29 Air superiority platforms with LCA as point defence.
Without Airspace Security guardian the IAF jets are less potent as eminent aerial threats and tracking can be used to counter such offensive capabilities of IAF jets. This is where S400 becomes offensive as its ability to target and take out Awacs, Drones, jets and other reconnaissance platforms makes enemy blind about what is going on in Indian Airspace (bcz they can see via radar but cant do much with any platforms due to guardian).
On top defensively it acts as guardian protecting us from hostile aerial and ballistic threats too. Why the word air space guardian bcz of its full mobility, 100% area sensors and firing coverage, 400km range of enagegment and 600 kms range of detection, all network centric warfare, a complete package
In the words of another boarder
"Planes and SAMs will supplement each other. SAMs will make a first shot on enemy airspace threats and then will go offline to change positions and reload. This time is fighters part - they will fire the second strike, covering SAMs during reload/position change process, than withdraw when SAMs will be ready to not to be shot down by SAMs next shot"
S-400 is a completely mobile system. It works in 15-mins battle Tic-Toc (5 mins for unpacking, 5 mins for aim and fire, and 5 mins to pack and get out).Pantsyr-S1 and the others like PDM (anti-diversions machines) and Gazetchik-M radar defence siuts (to catch ARMs) are very useful and highly recommended options to sustain this tactics. Thus the multi tier defense of S-400 systemm itself is formidable to any threat. Even if you detect its radar, the hostile interception plan to take out radar itself is a challenge. Thats why you see NATO crying over just S-300 itself and S-400 is a class ahead
Well about placement, radar modules itself within 150-200km range gives full 400km plus inland (inside pakistan) detection and even if we place say the 250km TEL (just 1 TEL of 48N6) within further 50km towards the border (implying the TEL is 100km from the border) the range of operations is still within 100-150 km inside Pak airspace. NOw the 40N6 can be further inside our borders at say 200 kms from the border giving us an inside range of 200 kms into Pak airspace.We can of course keep moving it between the range of 100-200kms giving us 200-300km inside range in pak airspace (mobility benefit). This implies S-400 can beat Pak IRBMs on launch route (active trajectory part) if their launch sites will be within the S-400 hit radius. And if not, than it will beat them on targeting routes in a mid course intercepption. If it still fails then terminal interception is always there as a solution (of course the N bomb in terminal interception may not do huge damage but of course Electromagnetic pulse impact will be there)
In other words the positioning of TELs itself can help us define how much inside pakistani Airspace we want real and formidable coverage and ability to neutralize or restrict. This is purely bcz of geographical benefit of india pak borders having no mountainous regions in guj-raj-punjab sector and breadth of pak as a country being limited. (no offense)
(Courtesy to gadeshi for lot of inputs and Austin)
Very true, Rafale I believe if acquired should be at least 90 aircraft as even IAF claimed recently, 36 aircraft is nearly not enough. Sure, they are welcome and will help but they don't start to bring economies of scale that a larger fleet of 80+ aircraft does. With a larger fleet of at least 5 sqds each sqd assigned to one of the 5 air commands we can have very good capabilities.
For S-400, each battalion can be spaced out to around 100 km from command center thus making the coverage truly wide spread. Usually the S-400 batteries in Russia also come with Pantsir for very close in protection from any remnants that slipped the net such as very low hugging cruise missiles, fighters or terrain hugging attack helos etc, I hope protective Pantsirs are part of the package too.