India
India to Receive Fifth S‑400 Air‑Defence System Early 2027
India is expected to receive the final S‑400 air‑defence system it contracted in 2018, with delivery slated for January–February 2027. The system, costing $5.43 billion, will be the fifth of the five units ordered by the Narendra Modi government. A pre‑dispatch team will visit Russia in December, and parts are likely to arrive in January. Earlier reports had suggested a November arrival.
India already received its fourth S‑400 system in May–June 2026. The four systems in service are deployed on the western flank (three units) and the eastern theatre (one unit). During Operation Sindoor in May 2025, an S‑400 missile intercepted a Pakistani airborne early‑warning aircraft about 300 km from the Pakistani heartland. Pakistani kamikaze drones targeted the S‑400 sites at Adampur and Bhuj, but the system prevented any damage.
In March 2024, India’s Defence Acquisition Council granted Acceptance of Necessity for five additional S‑400 systems, though the contract has not yet been signed. The country is also evaluating the Russian short‑range Pantsir system, with 52 units under consideration—13 to be imported from Russia and 39 to be manufactured in India. No contract for Pantsir has been signed.
The Pantsir system can engage drones, cruise missiles, helicopters and low‑flying aircraft, and could complement the S‑400 in a layered air‑defence network.
Source: Hindustan Times