Deployment of S-400 defence missile system

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The first unit of S-400 Triumf has been deployed in Punjab for protection against any strike from Pakistan and China.

• The system has been deployed at one of the five IAF bases in the state, which borders Pakistan. 

Background

• India has contracted five S-400 Triumf (NATO designation SA-21 Growler) regiments from Russia under a $5.43 billion deal signed in October 2018.
• Delivery was originally slated to begin in 24 months by the end of 2020 but was slightly delayed due to late payments as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The system is already available with China, which deployed it along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh amid the border standoff.

What is the S-400 system?

• It is an upgrade of the S-300 surface-to-air missile system.
• The defence missile system was bought from Russia.
• The S-400 is known as Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.
• Capable of handling multiple objects: It is capable of simultaneously tracking numerous incoming objects including aircraft, missiles and UAVs in a radius of a few hundred kilometres and launching appropriate missiles to neutralise them.
  • It is capable of protecting its air defence bubble against rockets, missiles, cruise missiles and even aircraft.
• Radars: It has radars that can pick up an incoming object up to a distance of 1,000 kilometres, track several dozen incoming objects simultaneously, distribute the targets to missile systems and ensure a high success rate.
• Range of targets: S-400 has been specifically designed to detect and destroy a range of targets including strategic bombers, aircraft used for electronic warfare, early warning, and reconnaissance; and even fighter jets such as F-16 and F-22.
• Deployment: The IAF will start focusing on the eastern borders along with providing resources for training personnel within the country after the first squadron is deployed.

Image: The Hindu

Significance of S-400 for India

• India’s deployment will provide a major fillip to its air defence capacity as the weapon system is capable of neutralising assets. 
• The S-400 fills important gaps in India’s national air defence network and would complement India’s indigenous Ballistic Missile Defence system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
• Handling a two-front threat: S-400 will be a game-changer once inducted and will also partly make up for the dwindling fighter strength of the force especially in the backdrop of growing two-front threat from China and Pakistan.

Possible implications on India

• Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA): It would be surprising to see how the United States will react to the delivery of the S-400 to India as in the past US had indicated this could be considered as a significant transaction under its Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) and that it could attract sanctions. However, India is expecting a waiver from the United States.
  • There have been attempts by the United States to undermine such cooperation and impose the purchase of its own weapons on India.
  • Example of Turkey: Following US sanctions on Turkey over the procurement of S-400 missile systems, there have been apprehensions that the US may impose similar punitive measures on India.

India’s Response 

• India stated that it was a sovereign state and would itself decide what armaments to buy and who will be its partner here and in other spheres.

Indo-Russia Defence ties 

• Defence trade between India and Russia was $15 billion in the last three years because of several big-ticket deals.
• Few big pending deals: On the defence front, which is a major pillar of cooperation, few big pending deals are lined up for the conclusion which includes Ka-226T utility helicopters, Ak-203 assault rifles and Igla-S Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) systems.
• Emergency procurement: India recently made an emergency procurement of the Igla-S systems and signed a deal for off the shelf procurement of 70,000 Ak-103 assault rifles.
• Russian Origin Weapon Systems in India: Nuclear submarine INS Chakra, 
  • The kilo-class conventional submarine, 
  • Brahmos cruise missile, 
  • MiG 21/27/29 and Su-30 MKI fighters, 
  • Mi-series of helicopters, and 
  • Vikramaditya aircraft carrier

Other Missile systems

• Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD): It is an American anti-ballistic missile defence system designed to shoot down short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their terminal phase by intercepting with a hit-to-kill approach.
  • THAAD has been deployed in Guam, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Romania, and South Korea.
• Iron Dome: is a mobile all-weather air defence system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. 
  • The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 4 kilometres to 70 kilometres away and whose trajectory would take them to an Israeli populated area.

Source: IE