India Today – August 13, 2018

AUGUST 13, 2018 INDIA TODAY 35

systems. The last batch of Sukhoi Su-30s, part of a 2001 deal

to licence-produce 272 of the Russian jets, are now rolling off

the production lines at HAL, Nashik. No additional orders are

likely. Earlier this year, the MoD pulled out of an Indo-Russian

Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), after investing $295

million and 11 years in the project. A deal to co-produce Kamov

Ka-226 helicopters for the three armed forces has been dogged

by starting issues. The S-400 could thus be more than just a

game-changer if it dodges US sanctions. n

The missile acquisition is also a reaffirmation of India’s

defence relationship with Russia. Apart from a 20-year

ongoing Indo-Russian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile,

there are virtually no joint development defence projects

between India and Russia. Russia has, in recent years, lost

a number of defence contracts to US firms and has watched

India replace, in some cases like long-range maritime patrol

aircraft for the navy and strategic airlift for the air force,

its entire inventory of Soviet hardware with US-made

S-400’s Big Bird /

Tombstone acquisition

and target management

radar in Jammu, 200 km

away, picks up jets and

monitors flight path. Flight

profile suggests they are

gaining altitude to launch

cruise missiles

3 3D

radar

tracks the

low-flying

cruise

missiles

F-16s launch

cruise

missiles and turn

back to base

5

4

Air Defence

Unit

Commander

orders his fire

control officers

to engage the

targets

Two 9M96E

missiles

launched. Intercept

the low-flying

cruise missiles in

mid-flight near

Srinagar air force

base

Two 48N6 long-

range missiles shoot

down both F-16s before

they can land

7

8

6

55K6E
COMMAND POST
Controls all the firing
batteries and radars.
Has five operator
stations. Air Defence
Unit Commander
orders his fire
control officers to
engage the targets

5P85TE2 LAUNCHERS

(up to 12) with 4 missiles

each

Max. range: 400 km

Max. altitude: up to 30 km

Missiles per system: 48

Max. target speed: 4,800

metres per second

Deployment time: 5-10 min

MISSILES

Four missiles of

different types and

ranges

9M96E: 120 km

48N6E2: 200 km

48N6DM: 250 km

40N6: 400 km

96L6E ‘CHEESE

BOARD’ 3D

ACQUISITION RADAR

Used for low-flying

targets. Measures range,

azimuth and elevation and

automatically tracks 100

targets. Classifies four

different target types:

aircraft, helicopters,

UAVs and missiles

TARGETS

Fighter aircraft

Smart bombs

Cruise missiles

Drones

Tactical ballistic

missiles

Graphic by

TANMOY CHAKRABORTY

*Imaginary scenario