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What is the S-400 missile defence system that India is eyeing to buy

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: May 29, 2018, 04:34 PM IST
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The highly mobile, ground-based S-400 Triumf can detect, track and shoot down multiple targets including cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, aircraft, drones, UAVs. Photograph:(Zee News Network)

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S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system The highly mobile, ground-based S-400 Triumf can detect, track and shoot down multiple targets including cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, aircraft, drones, unmanned aerial vehicles

India has concluded price negotiations with Russia for a nearly Rs 40,000 crore deal to procure S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems for the Indian Air Force.

S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.

The system can fire a missile in just five minutes after it is deployed.

The highly mobile, ground-based S-400 Triumf can detect, track and shoot down multiple targets including cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, aircraft, drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). 

The interceptor-based missile system can destroy incoming hostile aircraft, missiles etc at ranges of up to 400 km. The S band system can track 300 targets. The S-400 is able to intercept cruise missiles out to a range of about 40 km due to their low altitude flight paths.

At present, the S-400 Triumf system employs missiles which use a 143-kilogramme high-explosive fragmentation to kill the incoming aerial threat. But another missile 77N6 is under development which will have the hit-to-kill capability like the US Patriot air defence system. While the current system can destroy missiles as well as aircraft and drones, the 77N6 will be specifically deployed to target the ballistic missile threat.

The S-400 is an upgraded version of the S-300 systems. The missile system, manufactured by Almaz-Antey, has been in service in Russia since 2007. 

China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 to procure the lethal missile system and Moscow has already started delivery of unknown number of the S-400 missile systems to Beijing.

India and Russia had signed an agreement on the missile system in 2016.