India Asks Russia to Speed Up Delivery of S-400 Air Defense System
S-400 air defense system. X/ @Megatron_ron
June 27, 2025 Hour: 9:26 am
The agreement to purchase five squadrons of the S-400 system was signed between New Delhi and Moscow in October 2018.
On Friday, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed that India has pressed Russia to accelerate the delivery of its strategic S-400 air defense systems and the modernization of its Su-30 MKI fighter jet fleet.
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Singh met with Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China. During the meeting, India raised the need to boost defense production, particularly in critical areas such as air defense, air-to-air missiles, modern capabilities and the upgrading of aerial platforms.
“The delivery of S-400 systems, the modernization of the Su-30 MKIs, and the acquisition of critical military equipment within short timelines were some of the key outcomes of the meeting,” the Indian Defense Ministry stated.
The original agreement for the purchase of five squadrons of the S-400 system was signed between New Delhi and Moscow in October 2018 for an estimated US$5.4 billion. The deal was sealed during a summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, though its implementation has faced some delays.
India’s acquisition of the advanced Russian defense system has been a point of friction with the United States, which has threatened possible sanctions under its Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
The renewed push comes as India looks to diversify its arms purchases while still relying on Russian technology for a critical portion of its armed forces, despite growing scrutiny of Russia’s defense industry due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
At the same summit, Singh also held his first face-to-face meeting with his new Chinese counterpart, Adm. Dong Jun, urging him to pursue a “permanent solution” to their disputed border.
Both meetings took place against the backdrop of India’s recent military crisis with Pakistan. Singh briefed both ministers on the attack in Kashmir and India’s subsequent operations against Pakistan, which, he said, earned the explicit support of its longtime ally, Russia.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
