After eight years of waiting, India has received its fourth battery of russian S-400 air defence systems. This may seem surprising given the constant losses russia has suffered through Ukrainian drone strikes and its own shortage of air defence assets against long-range UAVs.
According to ANI, citing its own sources, the system arrived several days ago. The final, fifth battery is expected to be handed over to India within the coming months.
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Defense Express notes that this reflects russia's clear intention to close out the five-battery S-400 contract signed back in 2018 before the end of this year. The first three systems were delivered relatively on schedule, while the fourth, originally planned for 2022, was delayed by the russo-Ukrainian war.
India's enthusiasm here is unsurprising: the country is glad both to strengthen its own air defences and regards the russian system as an effective platform. Strong results have been claimed during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, though both sides in that conflict have been known to inflate their figures.
More interesting is the fact that russia is exporting S-400 systems despite the constant attrition of its own air defence assets to Ukrainian drones and its inability to prevent deep strikes.
This may nonetheless make a degree of sense. The S-400 is not particularly effective against low-altitude strike drones, while the sale is guaranteed to generate revenue that can be either redirected into the defence industry or used to procure more suitable counter-drone assets, such as the Pantsir systems now being installed on civilian buildings in Moscow.
Retaining a key customer is another likely factor. russia wants to keep exporting its defence products, so closing out an existing foreign contract takes priority, keeping the door open for further sales. That includes the additional five S-400 batteries India is reportedly looking to acquire.
It has previously been noted that russia exports tanks and armoured vehicles despite its own military's needs as seen in Libya. Further deals of this kind are therefore quite likely to continue emerging.
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