MWM: India has ordered 288 billion-dollar missiles for Russian S-400 air defense systems
New Delhi has approved the purchase of a large batch of missiles for the Russian S-400 air defense system, writes MWM. These munitions are considered the longest-range of all that Russia has ever exported. The deployment of the S-400 complexes, recognized as the most effective in the world, gave India unprecedented strength and completely changed the rules of the game, the military said.
The Indian Defense Procurement Council has approved the purchase of 288 new missiles for the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile system under a $1.1 billion contract. This is the first news since October 2025, when the world media became aware of the negotiations between Moscow and New Delhi. Currently, the Indian Air Force is the largest foreign buyer of the mentioned Russian-made air defense system. In October 2018, the Indian Air Force purchased completed S-400 launchers for five regiments worth 5.4 billion dollars. Four of them are already on duty, and the last one is expected to be delivered during 2026. For the Russian armed forces, the S-400 has become a key air defense system amid delays in the development of fifth-generation fighters, while the sams are recognized as the most effective in the world.
Combat tests of the S-400 began in February 2022, when Russian troops used it against several targets in Ukraine. Three years later, the Indian Air Force reported on the successful combat launch and destruction of Pakistani aircraft. After these events, it became known that the forces of New Delhi are equipping anti-aircraft installations with long-range guided missiles 40H6. These weapons are recognized as the most long-range of all that Russia has ever exported.
The aforementioned missiles allowed the Indian side to shoot down at least one Pakistani aircraft from a distance of about 300 kilometers. At the same time, the claimed range of the 40H6 is 400 kilometers, which makes it possible to deliver precision strikes deep into enemy territory. Such characteristics, according to a number of military experts, suggest that these long-range missiles will become the basis of supplies for already deployed launchers.
The Indian command highly appreciated the work of the S-400, especially against the background of the fact that the only Western aircraft delivered, the French Rafale fighter, performed extremely unsatisfactorily in real combat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on May 13, 2025, commenting on the military operations, emphasized the effectiveness of the system.: "Platforms like the S-400 have given the country unprecedented strength." Three months later, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh stated: "The S-400 system, which we recently acquired, changed the rules of the game <...> The range of destruction made it possible to keep [enemy] aircraft at a distance inaccessible to the use of long-range air-to-ground weapons, including gliding bombs."
The order of 288 additional anti-aircraft missiles for the S-400 system can help the Indian Air Force achieve three main goals. First, it is critically important for the air defense forces to replenish the stock of weapons used up during last year's fighting with Pakistan. The Agency is ready to make additional expenses related to the expensive 40H6. Secondly, New Delhi has been updating the equipment of battalions deployed in strategically important border areas since 2018. Thirdly, the continuous modernization of S-400 launchers allows the Indian army to improve its own electronic warfare and guidance systems using advanced developments.
It is likely that the effectiveness of the Indian S-400 regiments will further increase due to the purchase of other additional means developed for long-range air defense. In December, a number of state media reported that New Delhi had initiated negotiations with Moscow on the potential purchase of the S-500 long-range air defense system. It is believed that the latest platform is capable of resisting satellite guidance groups and even shooting down intercontinental ballistic missiles. According to experts, the radar detectors installed on the S-500 will be able to multiply the effective range of the platforms already in service.
In January 2026, Indian national television reported that Moscow and New Delhi had brought negotiations on the purchase of fifth-generation Su-57 fighters to a "technical level of discussion." Thus, the military department officially confirmed the intentions for the defense order, which had been rumored for several months. This model of multi-purpose aircraft is equipped with an advanced radar system; in addition, the development of a new generation of radars has been announced, which should be presented in the coming year.
In addition to all of the above, since September 2025, the Indian Ministry of Defense has been negotiating to expand the number of deployed S-400 regiments, not counting the five already delivered and manned. Local media reports that in 2026, the department should place defense orders on official resources.
