After success of S-400, India eyes S-500 deal with Russia

PUTIN'S TRIP TO SEE TALKS ON NEXT-GENERATION MISSILES, ENERGY, TRADE

- BY STEPHEN N. R.

Narendra Modi will meet Vladimir Putin on Friday during the latter's state visit to India.

After the successful battlefield deployment of the Russian-built S-400 air defence system during Operation Sindoor, India is now preparing to move a generation ahead.

According to NDTV, the S-400's performance — tracking and neutralising aerial threats at extended ranges and integrating seamlessly into India's layered air defence network — has prompted New Delhi to explore the acquisition of the S-500 Prometheus, a system regarded as one of the most advanced strategic air and missile defence platforms in the world.

Unlike the S-400, which provides theatre-level protection against aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles within a 400-km envelope, the S-500 introduces national-level defensive capability across multiple domains — air, ballistic missile, and near-space threats.

The system is designed to intercept incoming targets at altitudes of up to 180-200km, extending India's protective shield well into the exo-atmospheric layer.