This Rs 39,000 crore S-400 Triumf missile deal can give India edge over Pakistan

India is a step closer in acquiring the formidable S-400 Triumf missile system. The Rs 39,000 crore deal with Moscow will give New Delhi not only an edge over Islamabad but will also bring it on par with Beijing. 

The talks regarding the deal have entered the final talks, a Times of India report said on Monday. The Narendra Modi government is keen on closing the deal in the fiscal of 2018-2019. 

The surface-to-air missile system can detect, track and destroy enemy targets at a range of 400 km and altitude of 30 km. 

According to a Mail Today report, the Indian Air Force had conducted the field evaluation trails, which were said to be successful.

Manufactured by Almaz Antey in Russia, the missile system includes set of radars, missile launcher sand command posts.

If India is able to close the deal, it would be able to track all Pakistani air bases. Also, China installations in Tibet would also come within India’s striking range. 

HIGH IN DEMAND

Recently, Turkey had also signed a pact with Russia regarding the supply of S-400 surface-to-air missiles. 

The S-400 accord, reportedly worth some $2.5 billion, has caused concern in the West because Turkey is a member of NATO and the system cannot be integrated into NATO's military architecture.

It is the latest in a series of moves by Ankara to boost its defence capabilities as it faces threats from Kurdish and Islamist militants at home and conflicts across its borders in Syria and Iraq.

No details of the accord were available and officials were not immediately available to comment. But Sergei Chemezov, head of the Russian state conglomerate Rostec, told the Kommersant daily on Wednesday Russia would supply Turkey with four batteries of S-400s under the deal.

He said Moscow was expected to begin the first deliveries in March 2020 and that Turkey was the first NATO member state to acquire the advanced S-400 missile system.