New Delhi: Russia may offer the cutting-edge S-500 ‘Prometey’ also known as ‘Triumfator-M’ to India and China after the needs of the Russian military for the air defence system are addressed. The S-500 surface-to-air missile system has a range of about 600 km and can intercept and destroy intercontinental ballistic, hypersonic cruise missiles and intruding aircraft.
Speaking to a Russian-government controlled news agency, Dmitry Shugayev, director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, is quoted to have said: “We consider India, as well as China and all the states that we have long-standing, partner and predictable relations with as prospective buyers of this latest system.”
“We have concluded a contract for the S-400 and they (India) will receive the first battalion set of this system by the year-end. That is why it is quite logical that they will display their interest in the foreseeable future and request the S-500 from us as well.”
The official added that the export orders will be taken only after the surface-to-air missile systems are delivered to the Russian military in requisite numbers.
While the first S-500 system is expected to be delivered to the Russian military this year itself, the first exports may well take place by 2030.
Also read: India has made its decision on purchase of S-400 system from Russia: Jaishankar
On August 24, 2021, Alexander Mikheev, the head of Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, was quoted by Russian media to have said that the plan was to introduce the S-500 in the global market by 2030.
Notably, some major defence deals are expected to be signed at an India-Russia bilateral summit likely in December where the military-technical cooperation for the next decade 2021-2031 will be announced. It is not known at this stage whether S-500 will figure in the talks.
There is a belief in knowledgeable circles that Russia is intentionally delaying the deployment of S-500 in its military so as to keep the production lines open for the S-400 which has evoked keen buying interest in many countries worldwide.
Russia’s stand is seen also as a snide rebuff to the US’ threat to impose sanctions on India under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for buying the S-400 air defence system from Russia.
Also read: US fumes as Turkey receives S-400 defence systems
The US has not relaxed the CAATSA stipulations for key NATO ally Turkey which has gone ahead with its buying of the S-400 ‘Triumf’ air defence systems.
Meanwhile, three US senators have sought relaxations of CAATSA stipulations under a legislation called the Circumspectly Reducing Unintended Consequences 15 Impairing Alliances and Leadership (CRUCIAL) Act of 2021, which if approved, will allow India to execute defence deals with Russia for the next 10 years without any threat of US sanctions.
On Monday, India’s ambassador to Russia, Bala Venkatesh Varma, who is completing his three-year-long tenure in Moscow soon, said in an interview that Russia has moved back again as the top defence partner of India. “India-Russia defence contracts were only about 2-3 billion dollars per year when I joined in 2018. Today the total amount is about 9-10 billion dollars,” he had said.
While China has already deployed the S-400 systems, India is expected to receive the much-talked-about system in less than two months. India had signed the $5.43 billion deal with Russia in 2018 for five columns of S-400 missiles by 2023.
