India and Russia have discussed the provision of S-400 missile systems and Su-30 MKI fighter jets as well as speeding up purchases of military equipment in a short time, the Indian Ministry of National Defense informed on June 27 after a meeting in Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting between Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defense Ministers' Meeting.
"This is one of the key contents of the recent meeting of the defense ministers of the two countries in the context of the Sindoor Campaign and the need to increase defense production afterwards, especially in key areas such as air defense, anti-aircraft missiles, advanced capabilities and modernization of aircraft lines" - the Indian Ministry of National Defense stated in the announcement.
The statement added that the meeting between Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov "primarily focused on the transfer of S-400 missile complexes, the modernization of Su-30 MKI aircraft and the urgent procurement of essential military equipment".
The meeting came just weeks after the Sindoor Campaign - India's military campaign into Pakistan in early May. In the operation, Pakistan claimed to have destroyed an Indian S-400 squadron at the Adampur air base.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directly denied the claim. On 13 May, he visited the Adampur air base and took a photo standing in front of an S-400 complex.
Indian military leaders consider the S-400 Triumf an important component of the national security structure. The Russian-made long-range air defense systems form an external shield of India's integrated air defense network and are directly linked to the Indian Air Force's Command and Control (IACCS) system.
Each S-400 regiment includes 2 missile teams, with 128 missiles, which can shoot down bombs, fighter jets, drones, cruise missiles and enemy reconnaissance aircraft from a distance of 120 to 380 km. The S-400 missile complexes are also equipped with long-range radar and mobile launch vehicles.
Under a $5.43 billion deal signed in 2018, India was originally expected to receive five S-400 missile regroupes from Russia by the end of 2023. However, the Russia-Ukraine conflict disrupted this time frame. So far, India has received and deployed three regroupes, stationed in the northwest and east of the country to intercept for threats.
In Taitung, Russia guarantees the handover of the 4th and 5th S-400 missile regroupes in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
