NEW DELHI, May 29. /TASS/. The issue of supplying India with Russian S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile systems is being discussed by Moscow and New Delhi, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov said in an interview with the IANS news agency.
Responding to a question about media reports that India intends to purchase additional S-400 systems, Alipov said that discussions on this topic, as on many others, are "ongoing."
"Our discussion on this particular topic, as on many others, is ongoing. It is a continuous one, but it would be incorrect for me and also premature to speak about the results of it at the moment," Alipov said.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, during which the Indian Armed Forces struck nine terrorist-related targets in Pakistan, Alipov noted that India had clearly defined its goals and taken appropriate action. "As far as we know, during the operation, the S-400 system was used and the BrahMos missiles were engaged. Judging by the reports available, the performance of these weapons was exemplary," the ambassador said.
As Alipov recalled, BrahMos missiles are a product of Russian-Indian cooperation, manufactured in India. "We have a joint venture designing and producing these weapons, and we are very satisfied with the results of this collaboration. It has very promising prospects. And we wish to expand on that track, as on many others that we discuss that are in the pipeline or are already being implemented," he stated.
In 2018, India signed an agreement to purchase five S-400 air defense missile systems worth $5.43 billion. The first Triumf missile system received from Russia was deployed in 2021 in the state of Punjab on the border with Pakistan.
BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile produced by the Russian-Indian company BrahMos Aerospace. It was developed by the Russian company NPO Mashinostroyenia and the Defense Research and Development Organization of India. The first test launch took place in 2001. Various versions of the missile are in service with all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces: the Air Force, Navy, and Army. On May 11, India commissioned a second BrahMos production plant in Lucknow, 500 km south of New Delhi.