Posted on 10/30/2015 7:53:33 PM PDT by cold start
Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar left for Moscow on 30 October for a three-day visit before he leaves for ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM-Plus) in Malaysia. The takeaway of this trip is however the fact that all measures are in place for India to acquire world's most advanced anti-ballistic missile system — the S-400.
Previously known as S-300PMU-3, S-400 is a new generation anti-aircraft weapon system developed by Russia's Almaz Central Design Bureau as an upgrade of the S-300 family. It is currently in service with the Russian Armed Forces.
The S-400 is designed to protect nuclear reactors, population centres and government installations. The system can also deflect enemy missile more than 400 km away. NDTV, however, reported that the total cost of the acquisition is not known yet. A file picture of S-400. Image source: Wikipedia
A file picture of S-400. Image source: Wikipedia
The S-400 basically has three kinds of missiles, with different capabilities, that can fly at supersonic and hypersonic speeds to intercept all kinds of targets at ranges from 120 to 400 km. Russian experts even proclaim that the S-400 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system can “radar lock and shoot down†stealth fifth-generation fighters like the American F-35 jets.
The S-400 Triumf is capable of countering all air attack weapons, including tactical and strategic aircraft, ballistic missiles and hypersonic targets such as the US F-35 fighter jet. The S-400 can engage up to 36 targets simultaneously with as many as 72 missiles at altitudes of five meters to 30 km.
Elaborating on the agenda during his visit to Moscow, Parrikar told Russian news agency TASS that he hopes to finalise the S-400 deal before PM Narendra Modi visits Russia in December this year.
“They may not take a final shape during my visit but we’d like to prepare some of them for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia in December — for example, the project for joint production of Kamov Ka-226 helicopters… Also, the purchase of S-400 missile systems. We anticipate these projects to be coordinated by next month,†Parrikar was quoted by TASS as saying.
The deal comes around a year after China sealed a $3 billion deal with Russia for acquisition of six S-400 batteries. China is slated to get the S-400 batteries, which is designated 'SA-21 Growler' by Nato and rivals the anti-ballistic missile capabilities of the US Patriot PAC-3 system, from 2017 onwards, PTI reported.
Parrikar's visit to Russia and clinching this deal might seem as an attempt by India to plug the holes in its airspace surveillance and defence network with progressive induction of a wide array of sensors and weapons.
Parrikar's visit comes as the government's Defence Acquisition Council cleared defence projects worth more than Rs 15,000 crores, Zee News reported.
India-Russia military technical cooperation has evolved from a simple buyer-seller framework to one involving joint research, development and production of advanced defence technologies and systems.
Since the missiles only have to come from Pakistan,
this may be wildly overspending.
is this the same one that shot down all the Israeli planes??? wait, never mind...
Well, thanks to Obozo they have to worry about missiles from other Islamic crazies, too.
Umm, India developed its nuclear weapons programme because of the threat of China. And Pakistan still exists because of Chinese assistance.
If Putin’s Russian is continuing in the tradition of the USSR with these weapons exports then the export model is a detuned version of the one in the Russian arsenal and has rather less capability than the model the customer thinks he is buying. One doesn’t find out these things until one uses them in combat against a modern military.
And exactly how is this different from what the US does?
I don’t know that Pakistan is the only reason. India is not that far from North Korea and that guy is certifiably nuts.
Hmmmmmm......before we went into Iraq, Hussein had the ‘best’ Russian anti aircraft, anti missile systems. We swept them away. Our own B Hussein O has certainly damaged our military, but we will prevail.
Exactly. And they have had what, 3 wars with Chinaso far? China is still occupying their territory along the border.
Their still developing a missile to shoot down Cessna’s.
I don’t buy it. You need some serious advanced technology for this. As little as 5 years ago, the S300 was the most advanced system in the world, and Israel took out Syria’s without breaking a sweat.
Adding 100 to the series, doesn’t make it better.
This same sort of thing happened in the vicinity of the White House (on more than one occasion IIRC)
http://fas.org/irp/agency/ustreas/usss/t1pubrpt.html
Putting its reach out to 400km is what I’d think is a game changer, frankly. That pretty much denies command, control and surveillance from things like JSTARs and other CC aircraft. Also, the inclusion of different types of missiles integrated into the system offers multiple options.
Here is a great site that discusses this system:
http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-S-400-Triumf.html
"hypersonic targets such as the US F-35 fighter jet. "
Should help India A LOT when dealing with China. Perhaps the Russians will consider selling us the missiles too, since we seem to TOTALLY ABANDONED national security since the Cold War ‘ended’.
I am not comparing the two. You sound like the NYT when it discovered that Reagan had “cheated” the USSR with a Star Wars that was largely grandiose expansion on speculation on what could be done in the not near future. NYT was highly indignant that he cheated.
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