S-400, BrahMos on table at Modi-Putin meet

New Delhi: The next phase of S-400 deliveries and the next phase of BrahMos development will both be on the table when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi on Friday, ahead of the BRICS Summit on September 12-13.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that Russia would fulfil its commitments. “Russia is capable of fulfilling its obligations, and they will be fulfilled. This issue is being mentioned during the conversations of our two leaders,” he said.

India signed a $5.43 billion (Rs 40,000 crore) deal with Russia in October 2018 for five S-400 Triumf regiments. Four have already been delivered and are operational. Three squadrons are deployed in Punjab, Rajasthan and the Jammu sector against Pakistan, while one is deployed in the north against China.

The S-400 was credited with a 300+ km intercept -- the longest-ever kill in Operation Sindoor in May 2025 -- taking out a Pakistani AEW&C aircraft and helping establish air dominance. The fifth and final squadron was delayed due to the Russia-Ukraine war. It is now assured for delivery by November 2026.

Peskov also said the two countries were jointly producing BrahMos missiles and that it was time to consider upgrading them. “We are jointly producing the BrahMos missiles, and it is time to think about improving those missiles, adding some additional characteristics, making them more competitive in the market and more effective,” he said.

The BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) is a lighter 1.3-tonne missile compared with the 2.9-tonne BrahMos. It is smaller, has a speed of Mach 3.5 and a range of 400 km-plus, and can be carried by Tejas and MiG-29 fighter jets -- allowing six to seven missiles per fighter compared with one on the Su-30MKI at present.

Russia still accounts for 40% of India's arms imports for the 2021-25 period, down from 51%.

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