India clears $1.1 Billion deal with Russia for 288 S-400 missiles after 2025 Pakistan war.

India’s Defence Acquisition Council approved the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the purchase of 288 S-400 surface-to-air missiles from Russia at a cost of ₹10,000 crore (roughly $1,100,000,000), which covers 120 short-range and 168 long-range S-400 missiles to replenish air defence stocks after the May 2025 conflict with Pakistan.

As reported by the Hindustan Times on February 13, 2026, India’s Defence Acquisition Council approved the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the purchase of 288 S-400 surface-to-air missiles from Russia at a cost of ₹10,000 crore (roughly $1,100,000,000). The approval covers 120 short-range and 168 long-range S-400 missiles to restore layered air defence stocks after operational consumption in Operation Sindoor during the May 2025 conflict with Pakistan.
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India's S-400 missile purchase centers not only on replacing missiles used, but on restoring the full depth of the long-range magazine that underpins the S-400's deterrent and denial effects. (Picture source: Russian MoD)

The approval covers 120 short-range missiles and 168 long-range missiles and will proceed under the Fast Track Procedure. The replenishment is tied to prior operational consumption of 400 km, 200 km, 150 km, and 40 km class interceptors. At the same meeting, AoN was granted for proposals with an estimated combined value of ₹3.60 lakh crore ($39.6 billion), including 114 Rafale fighter jets and related missiles for the Air Force, Air-Ship-Based High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite systems, anti-tank mines Vibhav and overhaul of Armoured Recovery Vehicles, T-72 tanks and BMP-II for the Army, and 04 MW Marine Gas Turbine-based Electric Power Generators and additional P-8I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft for the Navy.

India signed, on October 5, 2018, a $5.43 billion government-to-government agreement with Russia for five S-400 air defense systems, which was structured for phased delivery and integration into the national air defence network. Under that contract, two of the remaining five systems are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026, with specific timelines indicating arrivals in June 2026 and November 2026. After AoN, detailed cost negotiations with the vendor take place, followed by financial approval from the competent authority and final clearance by the Cabinet Committee on Security. The current missile replenishment decision sits at the AoN stage and will proceed through these subsequent approval steps before contract signature. Discussions have also taken place between India and Russia regarding the possible acquisition of five more S-400 systems through a mix of outright purchase and transfer of technology production involving Indian private sector firms, and reports say that India could acquire the more advanced S-500 air defense system in case of further delays.

The Indian purchase of 288 S-400 missiles comes from the requirement to replenish S-400 interceptors following their extensive employment during Operation Sindoor in May 2025, a four-day conflict that began on May 7, 2025, following Indian missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. During the conflict, the S-400 system was used to engage Pakistani fighter aircraft, early warning and intelligence-gathering aircraft, missiles, and armed drones across multiple sectors. A long-range interceptor reportedly struck a wide-bodied aircraft at a distance of 314 km inside Punjab, Pakistan. Following that engagement, Pakistani operational aircraft were reportedly shifted toward airbases in the west near Afghanistan and Iran. On May 9-10, after attacks on radar installations in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, and Pasrur, Pakistani air activity was reported as significantly reduced in sectors facing S-400 deployments at Adampur and Bhuj.

The S-400 Triumf is a Russian long-range surface-to-air missile system developed by Almaz-Antey as an evolution of late variants of the earlier S-300. Development began in the 1990s under the S-300PMU-3 designation before the system was officially adopted as the S-400 in the early 2000s, with initial operational deployment in 2007. The S-400 is designed to counter a wide range of aerial threats, including strategic bombers, fighter jets, airborne early warning and control aircraft, electronic warfare jets, cruise missiles, and certain types of ballistic missiles. The system's operational envelope includes long-range engagements up to 400 km, depending on missile type and target profile, with additional interceptors covering shorter ranges as the S-400 is structured to operate within layered air defence networks rather than as a standalone unit.

A standard S-400 battery, often referred to as a fire unit, is organized around a networked structure combining surveillance, engagement, and command elements. The core sensor suite typically includes the 91N6E Big Bird long-range acquisition radar for wide-area detection, the 92N6E Grave Stone engagement radar for fire control, and optionally the 96L6E Cheese Board 3D radar for enhanced tracking of low- and medium-altitude targets. These radars are connected to the 55K6E command post, which processes tracking data, assigns targets, and coordinates missile launches through a digital command, control, and communication framework. Each battery can field up to eight transporter-erector-launchers, commonly the 5P85TE2 or 5P85SE2, mounted on high-mobility wheeled chassis. Every launcher typically carries four sealed missile canisters, allowing rapid firing sequences and streamlined reload procedures while maintaining mobility to reduce vulnerability.

Within the S-400 missile list, the longest-range interceptor is the 40N6 missile, which has a maximum range of 400 km and a maximum interception altitude of 30 km. The 40N6 is designed for long-range engagements against aircraft, airborne early warning platforms, electronic intelligence aircraft, cruise missiles, and certain ballistic missile targets, and uses inertial guidance with mid-course updates followed by active radar homing in the terminal phase. Below it is the 48N6DM missile, credited with a maximum range of 250 km and engagement capability against aerodynamic targets and limited-range ballistic missiles. Earlier members of the 48N6 series, including the 48N6E3, are associated with engagement ranges in the 200 km class and use semi-active radar homing supported by ground-based engagement radars. These long-range missiles are vertically launched from sealed canisters and rely on command guidance updates before terminal homing, forming the outer engagement layer of the system.

At intermediate and shorter ranges, the S-400 employs the 9M96E2 and 9M96E missiles. The 9M96E2 has a stated maximum range of 120 km, while the 9M96E has a maximum range of 40 km and is optimized for closer-in engagements. Both missiles use active radar homing and are equipped with aerodynamic control surfaces and thrust-vector control to improve maneuverability against high-speed and low-altitude targets, including tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, and precision-guided munitions. The 9M96 family is designed for high agility, with reported capability to engage targets maneuvering at high g-loads. Depending on configuration, launchers can carry mixed loads of long-range and medium- or short-range missiles, allowing a single battery to create a multi-tiered air defence envelope within a unique command network, to shape adversary air operations far beyond the immediate front line.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.