The Indian Defence Ministry Defence Procurement Council has permitted the acquisition of extra Russian S-400 lengthy vary air defence methods, following reviews over a number of months of a rising curiosity in putting orders. “The S-400 system will counter enemy long-range air vectors concentrating on very important areas,” the Ministry introduced in a press release, though not elaborating on the numbers meant for procurement. The Ministry was reported in early March to be making ready to position an order for ten extra battalions, doubling its arsenal, after the S-400’s efficiency throughout engagements with Pakistani forces in Might 2025 drew appreciable reward from native officers.
The Indian Defence Ministry beforehand ordered ten battalions of S-400 methods in October 2018 underneath a a $5.43 billion contract, with the final of those battalions anticipated to be delivered in 2026. Throughout clashes with Pakistani forces in Might 2025, the system credited with having shot down least 5 hostile fighters and one giant plane, which was reportedly both an ELINT or an AEW&C system. The downing of the massive excessive worth plane was achieved at a 300 kilometre vary, highlighting the significantly lengthy attain of the S-400’s distinctive 40N6 missiles which might interact targets at nearly all altitudes and at as much as 400 kilometre ranges. The missile’s Mach 14 pace permits the S-400s to shoot down hypersonic targets, with shootdowns of Mach 8 ballistic missiles having been demonstrated throughout testing.
The Defence Ministry has been reported by native sources, together with a number of officers, to be planning procurements of a number of very excessive worth Russian aerial warfare methods to revolutionise its capabilities. Following affirmation in February 2025 {that a} license manufacturing deal for the Su-57 fifth technology fighter was being thought of, the Ministry in January 2026 confirmed that these talks had reached a sophisticated technical stage. The Russian Defence Ministry in June 2025 was reported to have made an unprecedented provide to supply full entry to the supply code, putting Indian Su-57s completely in a league of their very own amongst fighters of their technology of their ranges of customisability and the diploma to which they will combine indigenous applied sciences. The 2 nations are additionally holding talks to deeply modernise India’s Su-30MKI fighters, provide lots of of R-37M very lengthy vary air-to-air missiles for the plane, and provide S-500 air defence methods able to capturing downs satellites and area targets. The potential of Su-57 procurements and customisation reaching the stage of a completely joint program has additionally been raised.
