India, Russia in Talks for Additional S-400 Missile Systems.
India and Russia are negotiating fresh supplies of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems, a senior Russian defence export official told state news agency TASS.
Dmitry Shugayev, head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, confirmed that India already operates the S-400 and discussions are underway for new deliveries.
New Delhi signed a $5.5 billion agreement with Moscow in 2018 for five S-400 Triumf systems, designed to bolster India’s air defence capabilities against regional threats. The deal has faced repeated delays, with the final two units now scheduled for 2026 and 2027.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in remarks published Wednesday that India had resisted U.S. pressure to scale back purchases from Moscow, something Russia “appreciated.”
Despite diversifying arms imports to France and Israel, Russia remains India’s largest defence partner, accounting for 36 per cent of its weapon imports between 2020 and 2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
India-Russia Defence Ties
The two countries share a decades-long defence partnership that spans licensed production of T-90 tanks and Su-30MKI fighter jets, supply of MiG-29 and Kamov helicopters, the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, joint production of AK-203 rifles, and the BrahMos cruise missile programme.
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