India is ready to receive the delivery of its S-400 air defence systems by December, with Russian developers promising that it would give “100% air cover” even in high-altitude areas like Ladakh.
The first Indian systems are almost complete and a team of IAF is already undergoing the training in Russia. Officials said that the COVID pandemic did not have any impact on the delivery schedule as not a single day of work was suspended, given the pressing needs of the systems.
“The delivery of the S-400 for India is on schedule and first deliveries are expected by the end of this year. IAF personnel are now training on the system in Russia,” Dmitriy Sugaev, head of Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), told ET.
“The S-400 is the most state-of-the-art air defence system in the world. Taking into account that Russia too has high altitude areas, the equipment has been operated in such an environment. At altitudes of over 3000 m, it will be able to provide 100% protection against missiles and other airborne targets,” Mikhail Podvyanikov, deputy general director of Almaz Antey, the manufacturer of the system said.
