Russia has reportedly commenced the first deliveries of S-400 Triumph surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems to India.
The announcement was made by Russian military cooperation agency head Dmitry Shugaev at the Dubai air show, Russian news agencies reported.
Dmitry Shugaev was quoted by Sputnik news agency as saying: “The supplies of the S-400 air defence system to India have started and are proceeding on schedule.”
Delivery of the first set of the units is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
In October 2018, India signed a $5.4bn deal with Russia’s Rosoboronexport for the procurement of five S-400 Triumph regiments.
The S-400 air defence missile system entered service in 2007 and replaced the Russian Army’s S-300P and S-200 air defence systems. It is an upgrade of the S-300 series of SAM systems.
Meanwhile, Russia is also reportedly planning to offer the advanced version of the S-400 missile system, S-500, to India and China.
In March this year, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin reportedly raised the issue of India’s planned procurement of S-400 from Russia.
The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which was signed into law in 2017, imposes certain sanctions on countries that are involved in trade with Russia, North Korea and Iran.
Last year, the US imposed sanctions on Turkey for procuring the S-400 from Russia.
