S-400 Missile Systems

The S-400 Triumf(Triumph) is developed by Russia’s Fakel Machine Design Bureau in the 1990s. The S-400 missile systems is upgraded version of S-300 missile systems. It is an 4^th generation missile systems of S-300 Missile Systems Family. It’s NATO reporting name is SA-21 Growler. Previously it was also known as the S-300PMU-3.

It is a modern long range anti-aircraft (Surface to Air) missile system primarily used by Russia, firstly used in 2007. The missile system integrates a anti-aircraft missile systems, multifunction radar, targeting systems and autonomous detection, launchers, and command post and control center. The S-400 Triumph are intended to destroy Weapons Delivery & Jamming lines, Airborne Warning & Control System/Airborne Early Warning & Control(AWACS/AEW&C) aircraft, Reconnaissance aircraft, Medium Range Ballistic Missiles and Cruise missiles.

The difference between the S-400 and its predecessor lies in enhancements done to the radar and software. An S-400 battery could be armed with random choice of these weapons to advance/adjust its capability for a specific threat environment.

Five pillars of the Command Post are:

• 1 x Air Defense Unit Commander
• 1 x Air Situation Management Officer
• 2 x Fire Control Officers
• 1 x Engineering Officer

The S-400 consist of four types of missiles:

1.short-range 9M96E (40km)

2.medium-range 9M96E2 (120km)

3.long-range 48N6 (250km)

4.long-range 40N6E (400km)

With just one S-400 system deployed, you can defend against a wide range of aircraft threats.

The S-400 operates in the following way:

1. Long range surveillance radar tracks the object and transfers details to command post for target assessment.
2. After the objective is recognized, missile launch is ordered by the command vehicle.
3. The dispatch vehicle which is put within the best position gets the dispatch information and discharges the missile.
4. The rocket is guided toward the target with the assistance of the engagement radar.

Missile guidance system:

Inertial direction + Radio rectification + Semi-active radar homing (9M96E) or Semi-active radar homing (48N6E) within the terminal leg of the path. This control strategy gives higher possibility of missile hitting the target and destroying it. Both the 9M96E and the 48N6E are solid-propellant single-stage surface-to-air missiles.

The 92M6E will automatically prioritize targets, compute Launch and provide intermediate-course guidance commands to missiles while tracking the target and missile. Missile guidance modes include command link, Track via Missile (TVM) / Seeker Aided Ground Guidance (SAGG) and semi-active homing, where missile active seeker outputs are downlinked to the sub-system to support the computation of missile uplink to manoeuvre as per commands. The NATO reporting name of 92M6E is Grave Stone. A unit, consists of eight launchers, 120 missiles and command and support vehicles, costs around $300 million (₹2,500 crore). The Russian Defense Strengths had five S-400 regiments as of September 2013: two in one within the Pacific armada, one within the Baltic Armada, Moscow, and one within the Southern Military Area.

Deal Between India & Russia:-

Russia and India inked an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on the 15th of October 2016 at the BRICS Summit for the supply of five S-400 units. The deal got a nod on 5^th of October 2018 with the Budget of 5.43 billion US dollars (₹40,000 crores). The deliveries were expected to commence by the end of 2020 & brought into service in October 2020, but due to global pandemic COVID-19 deliveries got delayed. Now it’s been scheduled by the end of 2021. Moscow has been one of the prime supplier of Armed Forces weapons to India.

According to article published in The Indian Express Newspaper (5^th January 2021), India’s multi-billion-dollar deal to purchase the Russian-made S-400 air defense system may trigger US CAATSA sanctions on New Delhi. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) – an unbiased studies wing of US Congress – in its current report, stated that India is “keen for greater technology-sharing and co-manufacturing initiatives, while the US calls for additional reforms in India’s defence policy and higher Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) caps in the defence sector”. The threats of USA CAATSA sanctions are being fused-up because India choose Russian S-400 System over USA’s Patriot MIM-104 Patriot which is developed by US defense contractor Raytheon, Hughes & RCA in 1969. CAATSA – Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.

Source Credit: Wikipedia, The Indian Express & The Hindu

Date: 21^th September 2021

Day: Tuesday