India Plans to Boost Air Defence with 5 New S-400 Squadrons
August 31, 2026 - India will purchase five new S-400 “Sudarshan” long-range air defence squadrons from Russia at an estimated cost of around Rs 50,000 crore. Russia has submitted a detailed proposal to India’s Ministry of Defence and it is currently being processed, as per Defence sources.
Two of these squadrons will be manufactured in India. The new systems will be deployed along India’s eastern and western borders, further strengthening the country’s multi-layered air defence network.
According to the Defence sources, India approved the plan in March 2026, following Operation Sindoor.
India and Russia signed the first S-400 deal in 2018, under which India was to receive five squadrons. Four have already been delivered, while the final squadron is expected to be delivered by November 2026,
Under the new deal currently being processed, deliveries of the five squadrons are expected to start approximately three years after the agreement is signed. India will also purchase more than 280 supplementary missiles to boost the interceptor availability for the S-400s.
