Delivery Of All S-400 Air Defence Systems To India Will Be Completed By 2025: Russian Deputy Chief Of Mission

Russia on Friday (17 January) said that five S-400 air defence systems will be delivered to India by 2025, as per schedule.

At a press briefing, Russian Deputy Chief of Mission to India Roman Babushkin said that the production of the S-400 air defence systems had already begun.

“We will give 5 S400 missiles defence system (to India) by 2025. Russia is possessing one of the world's best defence system and it would serve well for Indian security,” he said, reports ANI.

India had signed the deal in 2018 to purchase the S-400 air defence system and has reaffirmed its commitment to go ahead with the deal.

The first batch of S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile systems will be delivered to New Delhi by October 2020 and the remaining batches are expected to join the Indian Air Force by 2023.

Babushkin also said that the Indian Armed Forces will receive the first batch of the 5000 Kalashnikov machine guns, produced by Russia in India, this year.

Also, 60 helicopters Ka-2267 will be supplied and 140 produced in India after the contracts are signed. The deputy of the Russian mission in India said that the agreement on joint production of spare parts of military hardware will be implemented soon, as well.

In view of the success of Russian-Indian JV Brahmos, the two countries were further upgrading missile precision, range and speed, he said.

"It is a unique weapon, even many developed countries don't possess it. Demand is huge in third world countries. All options are on the table. In order to proceed we have to make sure that the international law is respected," Babushkin said.

Russia, he said, is holding the largest defence expo exhibition this year and was "expecting new agreements" with India. In 2019, India-Russia contracts came close to $16 billion.

(With inputs from IANS)