India-Russia Defence Deal: While the Indian Defence Ministry has approved the purchase of 114 Rafale aircraft from France, it has also approved the purchase of 288 missiles for the Russian-made S-400 Air Defence System. These are the same S-400 missiles that were used by the Indian Army to stop and give a befitting reply to Pakistani attacks during Operation Sindoor.
According to reports, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has granted Acceptance of Necessity (AON) for the procurement of 288 S-400 missiles from Russia at Rs 10,000 crore.
Preparations to Replenish Missile Stockpile
It should be noted that in November last year, the Indian government had already planned to replenish the stockpile of missiles used in Operation Sindoor. As part of this plan, it is preparing to acquire these missiles to increase the stockpile of long-range and short-range surface-to-air missile systems.
Missiles were used against Pakistan.
It is worth noting that during Operation Sindoor last year, several S-400 missiles were fired, depleting the existing stockpile. New missiles are being procured to address this gap. This deal will include 120 short-range and 168 long-range missiles. These will be procured through an expedited process to ensure the system can be fully operational again.
The Indian government’s decision comes as India is scheduled to receive the remaining two batches of S-400 missiles from Russia in June and November this year. The success of the S-400 in Operation Sindoor demonstrated the Indian Army’s strength. The Army is now discussing the purchase of the S-500, a version of the same system. The purchase of the Pantsir short-range defence system from Russia is also under consideration.
If these deals are finalised, India will have 10 S-400 squadrons. This will further strengthen the country’s air defences and enable more effective countering of threats such as uncrewed aerial vehicles. India will purchase 114 new Rafale fighter jets; the Rajnath Singh-led DAC approved the proposal.
