NEW DELHI, August 20. /TASS/. Russian weapons could become part of a new large-scale Indian air-defense system, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Independence Day, Russia’s chargé d’affaires in India, Roman Babushkin, told a news conference.

Babushkin recalled that Russia’s S-400 air-defense missile system was successfully combat-tested during Operation Sindoor.

"These weapons are naturally already part of the Indian air defense systems. Therefore, we proceed from the understanding that when it comes to improving these systems, Russian equipment will be part of this process," he said.

"Russia is ready to support India in its endeavors," Babushkin noted, speaking about defense cooperation between the two countries. "Russia is India's leading partner in developing the national defense potential. We have significantly expanded the program of joint production of various equipment, including complex systems," he said, emphasizing that the creation of jet engines for fighters is part of the collaboration. "This is just one of the steps towards further expansion and development of this interaction," he added.

Modi, speaking on August 15 on the occasion of India's Independence Day, said that his country was launching a program to create a defensive shield capable of repelling any attempt at attack. He described it as an air-defense system designed to repel attacks from the borders, to be up and running by 2035.

Following the terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, striking terrorist-related targets in Pakistan. Russian-made military equipment in service with the Indian Armed Forces was involved in the operation. Modi then said that India's air-defense system, including the S-400, was the decisive factor in the operation. He subsequently visited the Adampur air base in the northwestern state of Punjab, where he posed for a photo beside the S-400.