From Tunguska to S400, New Delhi is strengthening its layered shield as recent wars show it can shape outcomes

India's Ministry of Defense last week signed a contract worth 4.5 billion Indian rupees ($46 million) with Russia's state-owned Rosoboronexport for the procurement of the Tunguska air defense missile system for the Indian Army. These cutting-edge missiles will enhance India's multi-layered air defense capabilities against aerial threats including aircraft drones and cruise missiles. The agreement will further strengthen the Indo-Russian strategic defense partnership.

Meanwhile, the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday cleared a proposal to procure five additional S-400 long range surface-to-air missile systems for the Indian Air Force from Russia, months after the S-400 systems demonstrated their outstanding capabilities during Operation Sindoor, the short but instance military standoff between India and Pakistan in May 2025.

AD systems in modern wars

Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have re-emphasized the importance of potent Air Defense (AD) systems. These are critical, multi-layered, and technology-driven frameworks that play a decisive role in modern warfare by protecting assets, denying enemy air superiority, and facilitating offensive operations. Modern AD systems have transitioned from purely defensive tools to strategic enablers.

As part of the "layered defense strategy," modern AD systems (S-400, Patriot, and Iron Dome) combine long-range, medium-range, and short-range radars and missiles to protect high-value targets, cities, command and control centers, military assets, and nuclear sites against varied threats. In addition to combat aircraft and missiles, AD systems are essential for detecting and destroying small, inexpensive drones, which are used to saturate, deceive, and damage defenses as part of the counter-drone capabilities.

A good AD system can impose "Air Denial," even one used by a technically inferior air force, and compel enemy aircraft to operate at safer distances, restricting their ability to support ground operations. Advanced systems like the S-400 can force enemy aircraft to stay further away from the battlefield using systems such as Airborne Early Warning (AEW&C) and Flight Refueller Aircraft (FRA).

Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) has thus become an important mission for air operations. The modern AD systems have to adapt to engage emerging threats such as high-speed ballistic missiles, ultra-low flying cruise missiles and hypersonic threats. Modern AD is also integrated with Electronic Warfare (EW) systems that can jam or blind enemy sensors and guidance, providing a "soft-kill" alternative to physical destruction.

Mobility is important to enable "Shoot and Scoot" capability by allowing them to change positions rapidly to avoid detection. Possessing a robust AD shield acts as a major deterrent and gives nations a stronger hand during diplomatic and military crises. Modern AD operates within an Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) ecosystem, also called the "system of systems" that connects radars, satellites, weapon platforms, and in-flight weapons, to provide a real-time, comprehensive air picture. Future development focuses on Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) to counteract the high cost of interceptor missiles, with some systems potentially costing as little as $2,000 per shot.

Countries are investing in domestic AD technologies (India's Akash and Kusha AD Systems) to reduce dependence on foreign imports and ensure the ability to produce systems at scale. In contemporary combat, AD systems determine the ability of a military to operate and survive. As seen in recent conflicts, the ability to protect key assets and deny the airspace to an adversary is often the deciding factor in war.

Highly efficient solution

The 2K22 Tunguska (NATO: SA-19 Grison) is a Soviet-era tracked, self-propelled, anti-aircraft system that combines guns and missiles for short-range air defense (SHORAD). It is a unique hybrid platform that combines both surface-to-air missiles (9M311, 10 km range) and high-speed anti-aircraft twin 30 mm auto-cannons for close-in defense, firing up to 5,000 rounds per minute, effective from 200m to 4km against air targets. The single chassis provides comprehensive protection. Its 360-degree radar can detect threats up to 18 km away, along with a digital fire control system for high precision.

The missile component can strike targets at altitudes of up to 3,500 meters, filling the gap between man-portable systems and long-range high-altitude batteries. All-terrain tracked armored chassis, allows it to keep pace with tanks and infantry fighting vehicles across rugged terrain and in diverse weather conditions. The system includes back-up optical tracking capabilities, allowing engaging targets even if the radar is being jammed by enemy electronic warfare.

The system is designed to provide low-altitude air defense for infantry and armored regiments. Its main objective is to protect ground troops on the move against low-flying targets, including attack helicopters and close-support aircraft, cruise missiles and precision-guided munitions, and tactical drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

As modern warfare shifts toward drone-heavy tactics, for India, Tunguska's rapid-fire guns provided a cost-effective and highly efficient solution to swarm threats. It will strengthen India's multi-layered air defense network, acting as a vital shield for mobile army columns that are vulnerable to sudden aerial strikes.

Potent deterrent:S-400 'Sudarshan Chakra'

The S-400 is a Russian mobile SAM system, developed in the 1990s by Russia's NPO Almaz as an upgrade to the S-300 family of missiles, joined the Russian armed forces in 2007. The system is complemented by its successor, the S-500.

The system has four radars and four sets of missiles covering different ranges. The maximum target detection range is 600 kilometers and targets can be engaged as far as 400 kilometers. The five batteries of S-400 contracted by India in 2018 cost $5.43 billion, including with reserve missiles.

All the sub-units are data-linked and controlled by a central command and control system with sufficient redundancy. The system is capable of layered defense and integrates with other Indian air defense. One system can control 72 launchers, with a maximum of 384 missiles. All missiles are equipped with directed explosion warheads, which increases the probability of complete destruction of aerial targets. The system is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise, and ballistic missiles, but can also be used against ground targets. It can engage targets at up to 17,000 km/h or Mach 14. It can intercept low flying cruise missiles at a range of about 40 km due line-of-sight requirement. The anti-ballistic missile (ABM) capabilities of the S-400 system are near the maximum allowed under the (now void) Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The number of simultaneously engaged targets by the full system is 36.

The system's ground mobility speed is close to 60 km/h on roads and 25 km/h cross-country. It takes five minutes to be operational and fire when ordered while driving. Otherwise system response time is just 10 seconds. Time between major overhauls is 10,000 hours. Its service life is at least 20 years.

In Russia the system was made operational around Moscow in 2007. Russia reportedly deployed the S-400 in Syria. The system has been widely used in the on-going conflict in Ukraine, and there are claims it has shot-down many aircraft. Meanwhile Ukraine has reportedly used Western weapons, mainly US-made ATACMS missiles, to hit S-400 units on the ground.

Belarus has unspecified numbers of S-400 units. Deliveries to China, of the six batteries ordered began in in January 2018. Four batteries consisting of 36 fire units and 192 or more missiles were delivered to Turkey. Algeria is another operator. Some other countries like Iran, Egypt, Iraq and Serbia have also shown interest. South Korea is developing the KM-SAM, a medium-range SAM system based on technology from S-400 missiles, with assistance from NPO Almaz.

As of March 2026, Russia has delivered three out of five S-400 systems ordered by India. The fourth unit is currently undergoing final testing, with delivery expected in May 2026, and the final (fifth) system is expected to be delivered by November 2026, adhering to an accelerated schedule.

India took deliveries despite the American threat of invoking CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). The recent conflict has revealed the rough location of two systems, one each being in Punjab and Gujarat. As per open sources, the third is somewhere in the east. The systems have been tested in various Indian military exercises.

At the 16th L.M. Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru in August 2025, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh lauded the S-400 air defense system as a potent deterrent. The S-400's lethality, and the accuracy of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles were a game changer in Operation Sindoor. He highlighted the system's operational success, strategic value in protecting Indian airspace, and contribution to maintaining an edge in regional air security. Despite geo-political challenges, the Indian Air Force had maintained interest in acquiring additional S-400 systems to further strengthen air defense. Clearly the side with better air defense systems could inflict significant damage and deter the adversary from carrying out strikes.

For a long time, the Indian Air Force's strategy, tactics and therefore inventories have been designed for offensive-defense. During Operation Sindoor, nearly five Pakistani fighter aircraft were reportedly shot down by the Indian S-400. Interestingly, the S-400 achieved its farthest kill ever by destroying a High Value Air Asset (HVAA) at reportedly 314 kilometers. These were over and above the aircraft destroyed during airfield strikes, Air Chief had said.

During its retaliatory strikes on Indian military targets, Pakistan claimed that two S-400 systems at Adampur and Bhuj were neutralized. International media acknowledged that all such claims were false. It was later revealed that after firing their missiles the S-400 elements were moved as a standard tactic. Immediately after the ceasefire, Indian Prime Minister Modi visited Adampur and addressed the personnel with the S-400 launcher in the background. A similar visit was made by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to Bhuj.

Several systems got universal praise during the conflict with Pakistan. These included the S-400 AD System, India's indigenous Akash AD system, the DRDO 4D (Drone, Detect, Deter, Destroy) counter-drone system, and the BrahMos anti-surface missiles. French Scalp missile also proved extremely accurate and destructive.

Why India needs more S-400s

India is a continent-sized country, with a total geographical area of approximately 3.287 million square kilometers. India has a total land border of approximately 15,200 km, bordering seven nations. The total coastline measures 7,516 km. India is among the most threatened nations, with serious boundary disputes with two nuclear-armed neighbors. India has had military conflicts with both. A much smaller country, Israel (land area 20,770 square kilometers) has around 10 mobile "Iron Dome" defense batteries.

Thus India's decision to obtain five additional S-400 systems make imminent sense. In the long run India will require close to 20 such systems. These will be achieved by inducting the indigenous "Kusha" AD system which will be of S-400 and later S-500 class.

More avenues

Aerospace has become the primary domain in modern warfare, and this reality dovetails with the depth of India-Russia defense ties. Nearly 60% of Indian Air Force aircraft are of Russian origin, and Russian platforms and weapons have served India for decades, starting with the MiG21s of the 1960s. More recently, the S400 and the Su30MKI-BrahMos combination have performed strongly in Operation Sindoor, underscoring the continued relevance of this partnership.

Against this backdrop, several logical avenues for future cooperation suggest themselves: highertier air and missile defense systems such as the S500; potential participation in fifthgeneration fighter programs like the Su57 under a Make in India framework; and deeper collaboration on undersea deterrence, including support for India's nuclear submarine ambitions. There is also scope for codevelopment of longrange airtoair and airtosurface missiles - building on systems such as the R37M - comprehensive upgrades of the Su30MKI fleet, and joint ventures in loitering munitions and kamikaze drones, where both sides face large-scale requirements and India can contribute industrial capacity.

In an era where control of the air and nearspace is increasingly decisive, India and Russia have both the legacy and the technological base to move their aerospace partnership into new, more advanced domains.

(RT.com)