India moves closer to S-400 production and service

BulgarianMilitary.com carries an article about the deal between an Indian firm and the Russian maker of S-400 air defence systems , Caliber.Az reprints the article.

According to a source within the Indian defence industry, the agreement between an Indian company and the Russian manufacturer of S-400 air defence systems for maintenance and repair services in India is nearing finalisation.

Multiple media sources, including EurAsian Times, Russia’s Sputnik, and India’s Times of India, have reported on this development.

In a significant joint venture, an Indian company is collaborating with Almaz-Antey, the Russian state-owned enterprise behind the S-400 surface-to-air missile system. The primary objective of this partnership is to conduct maintenance and repair operations for S-400 air defence systems in India. Additionally, there are plans to eventually manufacture crucial components for these systems locally.

Discussions between the Indian company and Almaz-Antey are nearing completion. The partners plan to establish two support centers and commence local manufacturing of spare parts in India by 2028.

Five years later

In 2019, discussions commenced regarding India's involvement in manufacturing spare parts and providing maintenance for the S-400 system. Reports from BulgarianMilitary.com indicated that Russia and India were exploring the possibility of producing components for the S-400 air defence systems within India. Sergey Chemezov, representing Russia's high-tech company Rostec, disclosed this information.

“Yes, we are discussing the production of parts in India,” confirmed Chemezov. He noted that Russia had previously licensed India to manufacture Su-30 fighter jets and T-90 tanks. Additionally, the BrahMos missile was jointly developed with Indian scientists and produced in India.

India expressed interest in purchasing the Russian-made S-400 missile systems as early as 2015. The $5.43 billion contract was finalised during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India last year. This decision drew criticism from Washington, which threatened sanctions against countries purchasing military equipment from Russia. Despite this pressure, India remains steadfast in its commitment to acquire the S-400 systems.