Defense News:
NEW DELHI — India has cleared the purchase of five units of Russian-made S-400 Triumf (AD) advanced Air Defence Systems [with Indian specifications] at a cost of about $4.5 billion. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the highest body under the Ministry of Defence (MoD) which decides weapons purchases, cleared the purchase of S-400 AD systems at its meeting here December 17.
An advanced team is leaving for Moscow on Dec. 17 to negotiate the purchase of the S-400 systems, said a MoD official.
Sources in MoD, however, said it is not certain if the deal for the S-400 will be inked during the upcoming Dec. 24-25 visit by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Moscow.
While India is keen on acquiring the S-400 systems, the response from Moscow is “lukewarm,” the MoD source added.
IAF wants the S-400 Air Defence (AD) systems to fill holes in the fledgling Air Defence system and give capability to strike multiple targets, including ballistic missiles and stealth aircraft, said an IAF official…
