Exclusive: India Clears Rs 10,000-Crore Deal for 300 New S-400 Missiles Ahead of Putin Visit

A Rs 10,000 crore deal for 275-300 S-400 missiles from Russia is likely very shortly. These are "additional missiles," for the three S-400 air-defence systems that the Indian Air Force (IAF) already has,

with two more due next year. India has an agreement in place for five systems, and three are already with the IAF and were deployed during Operation Sindoor, the four-day anti-terror operation against Pakistan. Highly-placed sources said the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Rajnath Singh, the defence minister, and including the chief of defence staff and the three chiefs, has cleared the Rs 10,000 crore deal. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is expected to be in Delhi later this week, the two-day visit beginning Friday. Another deal (a multi-billion dollar one) for an additional five systems is already under discussion, top government sources said. "We have started talking, but the cost consideration is there," highly-placed sources added.But there will be no announcement during the Putin visit. Cost-related negotiations will take time. Besides, it has not reached the "formal procurement track as yet." This means that it is yet to be placed before the Defence Procurement Board, after which the DAC and the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will follow. India has long wanted ten S-400 systems, including three along the India-Pakistan border, one each in Maharashtra and Gujarat, two in the North-east, one in Jammu and Kashmir and the rest for training/repair. However the final deployment, the two already contracted for, have to come next year and the signing of the other five will have to happen. These will be necessary for about a decade till Project Kusha, the Defence Research and Development Organisation's air-defence systems (three kinds are being planned) are ready. While no other new purchase from Russia is on the agenda, India is keen to have sufficient spares and maintenance equipment for the Russian weapon systems that are already with the Indian armed forces including tanks, artillery, frigates and fighter aircraft. "There are existing commitments," and there is a need for "maintenance and sustenance," sources said.