New Delhi, September 22 — Russia will complete delivery of the final unit of S-400 Triumph air defence systems to India in 2026, wrapping up a $5.43 billion contract signed nearly seven years ago despite the threat of US sanctions.
According to a report by Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, a defence source confirmed that “four of these systems have been delivered to date, and the fifth will be delivered next year.” The deal, worth approximately Rs 40,000 crore, was formally signed on October 5, 2018.
The S-400 contract has long been a point of friction in India’s strategic relations with Washington. In March 2021, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin cautioned New Delhi that the purchase could trigger sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which was enacted during the Trump administration. While the law remains in force, the United States has so far not imposed penalties on India, in part because the deal has not yet been fully executed.
India, however, has continued to deepen defence cooperation with Moscow. During his visit to Moscow in May this year for the V-Day parade, Minister of State Sanjay Seth told members of the Indian community that the S-400 system had proven its effectiveness during “Operation Sindoor.” The retaliatory campaign was launched on May 7 against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
According to Seth, India is also exploring options to procure the more advanced S-500 missile defence system from Russia. “India has shown interest to buy more missile systems,” he said.
Operation Sindoor lasted four days, ending on May 10 after India and Pakistan reached an understanding to halt cross-border missile and drone strikes. The operation marked the first combat use of the S-400, according to Indian officials.
With the final S-400 unit scheduled for delivery in 2026, India will have all five systems originally contracted in 2018, bolstering its layered air defence network amid rising regional security concerns.
