After years of waiting, India is expected to receive its fourth S-400 battery from russia by mid-May 2026. The system is already being transported by sea after an Indian Air Force commission completed its pre-shipment inspection.
This was reported by Hindustan Times, citing its own sources. It was also revealed that delivery of the fifth system is scheduled for November, which would complete the current order.
Read more: India Has Yet to Order New S-400 Missiles, While russia Is Already Using Them Against Ukraine
As Defense Express notes, India ultimately had to wait eight years after signing the contract in 2018. The original schedule called for all deliveries to be completed by 2023, but the timeline was pushed back by three years because of the russian-Ukrainian war.
Despite this, India continues to cooperate with russia on the S-400 program. Additional missiles for the systems have already been ordered, and there are also plans to purchase five more batteries of these air defense systems.
The reason cited is the reportedly high effectiveness of the S-400 during combat operations against Pakistan during Operation Sindoor almost a year ago. Claims were made about the downing of a significant number of aircraft, although independent assessments remain skeptical of these reports.
At the same time, the global reputation of the S-400 has been somewhat damaged by its performance during the russian-Ukrainian war. Ukraine's Defense Forces have repeatedly managed to strike these systems successfully.
However, this does not appear to concern New Delhi too much, as India tends to rely primarily on its own operational experience. Moreover, the S-400 is seen as a temporary solution intended to cover air defense needs until a domestic alternative enters full operational service.
India has cooperated with russia on defense procurement for many years, as seen in the localized production of Su-30MKI fighters, T-90S tanks, and the joint development of BrahMos missiles. Now, russia is also trying to sell its Su-57 fighters to India.
Read more: Saab Shows How Gripen-Launched RBS-15 Can Destroy russian S-400 and Sink Missile Destroyers russia Does Not Even Have
