Agreements on the licensed assembly of these systems in India have not yet been reached
Moscow. November 11. INTERFAX - Deliveries of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems to India will begin on time, the implementation of the contract has reached the finish line, Vyacheslav Dzirkaln, Deputy Director General for Foreign Economic Activity of the Almaz-Antey Concern of East Kazakhstan Region, told Interfax.
"We are at the final stage of fulfilling contractual obligations. I can assure you that they will be fulfilled," Dzirkaln said.
According to him, Indian specialists are fully ready for the acceptance, deployment and start of operation of the S-400, which will be delivered to them.
"As for training. For the first time, we trained a large group of foreign specialists in a specially created center at the concern. I would like to note both the level of training and the extraordinary interest of Indian specialists in studying complex, new technology for them. The first group completed training back in July, now we are completing the preparation of the second large group. These specialists will be fully prepared to ensure the operation of the equipment supplied to them. I can say that the Indian side is ready for the acceptance, deployment and start of operation of the S-400, which will be delivered by us," Dzirkaln said.
He noted that the S-400 will be able to go on combat duty immediately after delivery to India.
"Indian specialists are ready for this," the agency interlocutor said.
Answering the question whether the possibility of licensed assembly of Russian air defense systems at local defense plants is being discussed with Delhi, since this is the case for aviation equipment (Su-30MKI fighter), armored vehicles (T-90 tank), and a number of other weapons, Dzirkaln said: "I will answer briefly: at present we are talking only about delivery."
The head of Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheev, told Interfax on July 20 that deliveries of S-400 to India will begin as planned, in the fourth quarter of 2021.
It was officially reported that the contract for the supply of S-400 air defense systems to Delhi was signed in early October 2018 "on the sidelines" of the Russian-Indian negotiations at the highest level. Under the contract with a total value of $5.43 billion, India will receive five regimental sets of S-400. It is expected that the first regimental set will be delivered by the end of 2021, and all systems - by the end of 2024.
