Indian personnel begin training on S-400 Triumf missile air defense systems

The Indian Indian military personnel have arrived in Russia and have begun their training in the operation of the S-400 Triumf missile air defense systems said the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Deputy Director Vladimir Drozhzhov during the Aero India 2021 expo. About 100 personnel from the Indian Air Force (IAF) had arrived in Russia in January for training on the S-400 Triumf  system.

“Indian specialists have arrived in Russia in January and began training in the operation of this system,” he told TASS.

The first batch of the personnel will undertake training for about three and six months. A second set of IAF personnel is scheduled to depart for the training after a while.

Drozhzhov said that the shipment of S-400 is proceeding according to the schedule. “The first regiment is expected to be shipped before the end of this year,” he said.

In October 2018, Moscow and New Delhi signed a contract for the supply of five S-400 regiments worth more than $5 billion. Moscow plans to complete the delivery of the fifth regiments  in the first half of 2025.

The Russian delegation has brought in airspace control radars, S-400 Triumf, S-300VM Antey-2500 anti-aircraft missile systems, Tor-M2E, Tor-M2K, Tor-M2KM air defense missile complexes and other armaments during DefExpo-2020.

Russia has delivered some units of S-400 systems to China and Turkey. Turkey was subsequently sanctioned by the US for purchase of the system. US could invoke Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on India too.