Western media had worked overtime to discredit S-400 (NATO codename SA-21 ‘Growlers’) during the Ukraine-Russia conflict. However, the recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan has been a big triumph for the S-400 ‘Triumf’ as it intercepted long-range projectiles fired by Pakistan with 100 percent efficacy.
The S-400 surface-to-air missile shot down multiple Pakistani air-launched cruise missiles and drones, and proved its real worth during the India-Pakistan brief war.
India purchased five S-400 units from Russia in a USD 5.4 billion deal initiated by former defence minister Manohar Parrikar.
As global sanctions were levied against Russia, the US tried to dissuade India from going ahead with the deal. The deliveries were made even as the United States has yet to decide on a waiver for India under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
The EurAsian Times has learned from reliable sources that the Indian S-400 has created a world record by securing the longest kill by an SAM by hitting an aerial target at 314 kilometers. With the launch, the SAM took out a force multiplier of the Pakistan Air Force’s Saab Erieye-2000 flying radar.
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This is the second loss of the Saab Erieye-2000 flying radar, the source told EurAsian Times, on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media.
India’s leading media outlet, Hindustan Times, appears to be validating the source’s claims of AWACS shootdown by S-400.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Air Marshal Masood Akhtar (retired) disclosed that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) lost an AWACS aircraft during India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ on the night of May 9–10 to a BrahMos missile strike.
“They (Indian forces) fired four back-to-back Brahmos surface-to-surface missiles… surface-to-surface or air-to-surface, I am not sure. The (Pakistani) pilots rushed to secure their aircraft, but the missiles kept on coming, and unfortunately, the fourth one hit the hangar at Bholari (airbase), where one of our AWACS was standing. It was damaged and casualties were also reported…” he said in an interview.
The Indian S-400 surface-to-air missile also managed to shoot down multiple air-launched cruise missiles and drones fired from Pakistan.
India has already inducted three units—two on the Western front and one on the Eastern front. It is awaiting the delivery of two more units from Russia, which was delayed due to the Ukraine war.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will soon be visiting Moscow, and the early delivery of the remaining two units is said to be on the agenda.
It remains clear that though effective, India would require more units of S-400 to secure its airspace for a possible two-front confrontation.
It is being reported that, seeing the system’s success, India might place orders for more units of S-400, and it can go for the more advanced S-500 ‘Prometheus’.
The S-500 Prometheus is Russia’s next-generation surface-to-air missile and anti-ballistic missile system. Developed by Almaz-Antey, it boasts an operational range of up to 600 km and can intercept hypersonic weapons, ballistic missiles, and even low-earth orbit satellites. Its capability to neutralise low-earth orbit satellites makes it a strategic asset.
A joint production deal for the S-500 could lure India as it would bring every corner of Pakistan within its strike range, which would be a bane for Pakistan’s fighter jets in future wars. Reports have emerged that China is fast-tracking the delivery of stealth J-35s to Pakistan, and that too at a much lower price.
Buying S-500 would also be cost-effective, as India would require only the missiles and software upgrades, while the launchers would remain the same.
S-400 ‘Growler’
The S-400 has been designed to engage targets up to 400 km away using 40N6 missiles, but it also deploys the 48N6 missile with a 250 km range. The S-400 is prized for its ability to engage up to 80 targets simultaneously, and its high situational awareness provided by multiple complementary radars, which allow it to engage stealth targets reliably.
The road-mobile air defense system is highly manoeuvrable and has successfully thwarted Pakistan’s attempt to saturate it and take it down.
The S-400’s launchers, radars, and command centres can be quickly redeployed after firing, making them extremely difficult to neutralise. This layered system allowed Indian forces to create difficult-to-penetrate anti-access area-denial (A2AD) zones.
The S-400 forms the backbone of the Russian Air Force’s surface-to-air missile arsenal. It is by far the most widely operated long-range air defence system in any country, with over 30 regiments currently in service.
The S-400’s development began in 1993. The missile uses a 143 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead, has a range of 250-400 km, and is an ABM with a 60 km altitude. Nearly 70-80 percent of the technology, including missile storage containers, launchers, and radars, was adapted from the S-300, which has been in service since 2007. The same would be the upgrade from S-400 to S-500.
Russia has ordered ten S-500 battalions to replace the S-300 systems gradually. The first under-development unit was deployed around Moscow in October 2021.
S-400 – A Fruit Of Long-Term Planning
When a metallurgical engineer became the defense minister of India between 2014 and 2017, he brought a whiff of fresh air to the Ministry.
Parrikar’s technical background helped him steer India’s defense acquisition plans more clearly. He backed high-stakes procurements like the S-400 despite facing great diplomatic pressure from the US.
India proceeded with the deal, citing strategic autonomy.
The events of May 2025 have vindicated Parrikar’s vision. The S-400 has been one of India’s most expensive air defense acquisitions, but its performance in the recent military confrontation has made it worth every penny.
Parrikar nudged the IAF to have a tiered air defense system in the next few years. As the EurAsian Times earlier reported, the IAF’s surface-to-air missile (SAM) fleet surpassed the number of fighter jet squadrons in 2023.
The IAF presently has nearly 50 units of SAMs of various ranges. In addition to the S-400, the IAF has Russian-built Pechora (SA3-Goa), OSA-AK, and Igla; a medium-range surface-to-air Missile (MRSAM) made with the help of Israel; and indigenously built Akash surface-to-air missiles.
Late Air Marshal PK Barbora, former Vice Chief of the IAF, earlier told the EurAsian Times: “In the Ukraine-Russia war, both sides have managed to shoot down aircraft using some form of AD weapons. SAMs are indeed important weapons in the inventory and will play a major role in the wars to come.”
The IAF’s Air Defense philosophy is premised on layered area defense, which can potentially engage enemy aircraft even before they enter India’s airspace.
Thus, air superiority fighters equipped with air-to-air missiles form the first layer of ADC. Surface-to-air guided Weapons (SAGW) are the second, and close-in weapon systems and anti-aircraft artillery guns provide the inner AD cover.
The IAF Doctrine 2022 notes: “Control of the air is a priority as it is vital for the execution of the overall military strategy. This permits its own air and surface forces to operate more effectively in the battlespace and denies the same to the enemy.” To do it, the Indian Armed Forces are working towards an Integrated Air Defense System (IADS).
“The IADS includes all air and surface AD weapon systems deployed with an offensive outlook. This enables effective engagement of enemy aircraft, ballistic/cruise missiles, and aerial weapons before it can affect its forces. AD fighters, LRSAMs, MRSAMs, SRSAMs, and CIWS (Close-In Weapon Systems) systems of all services should be networked to create an integrated AD zone. IADS will normally consist of two complementary components, fighter aircraft, and surface-to-air defenses,” the doctrine notes.
The surface-to-air defenses allow “a state of high readiness” over prolonged periods and enable swift response. To add to it, they can be used to counter ballistic missiles as well. “A well-networked, integrated area defense capability will ensure the protection of high-priority targets by multiple weapons providing defense in depth,” the doctrine postulates.
India faces expanded security challenges as Hybrid Warfare has blurred the lines between war and politics, combatants and civilians. Hybrid Warfare makes the spectrum of war “nebulous” as it is a war in which one of the major participants is not a State but rather a violent non-state actor or non-state actor sponsored by a State.
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