Fighter jets, missiles, air defense system… Russia offers THESE deadly weapons to India, but Modi government likely to…

The Vladimir Putin-led Russian government has offered India the Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jet, the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet, the R-37 air-to-air missile, and the S-500 air defense system.

Moscow: During ‘Operation Sindoor’, the weapons bought from Russia played a pivotal role and delivered an outstanding performance. The S-400 defence system destroyed a Pakistani AWACS aircraft flying more than 250 kilometers away. The Russian defence system also provided the precise location of Pakistani drones, missiles, and fighter jets. In such a scenario, Russia is expecting India to purchase more weapons. Here, in this article, we will discuss the weapons Russia has offered to India.

Which weapons has Russia offered to India?

The Vladimir Putin-led Russian government has offered India the Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jet, the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet, the R-37 air-to-air missile, and the S-500 air defense system. However, it is important to note that the Modi government has not yet agreed to purchase any new weapons from Russia. The main reason is India aims to diversify its defense dependence, so that it does not rely too heavily on any single country.

Weapons Will Be Gamechangers for India

Igor Korotchenko, Director of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade and Editor-in-Chief of the Russian magazine National Defense, said that Russia’s advanced stealth aircraft Su-57, along with the long-range R-37 missile and the S-500 air defense system, could prove to be revolutionary for the Indian armed forces. He made this statement while speaking to Russian media outlet Sputnik.

He also noted that several reports claim India is considering the possibility of purchasing multiple new regiments of the S-400 missile defense system. He added, “This is due to the successes achieved by the Indian armed forces using the S-400 during the recent large-scale armed conflict between India and Pakistan.”

S-500 Missile Defense System

• The S-500 Prometey is a Russian surface-to-air and anti-ballistic missile defense system
• The S-500 Prometey also known as the 55R6M “Triumfator-M”
• It is an upgraded version of the S-400 and A-235 ABM missile systems.
• The S-500 was developed by the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern.
• Initially, it was planned to enter production by 2014, but its first unit was inducted into the 15th Aerospace Army in 2021.
• Russia claims that the S-500 is capable of intercepting all types of modern hypersonic weapons and has asserted that it has successfully tested such capabilities.

Su-57 Fighter Aircraft

• The Sukhoi Su-57 is a twin-engine stealth multirole fighter aircraft.
• Russia developed it under the PAK FA program.
• The Su-57 is Russia’s first aircraft designed with stealth technology.
• This fighter jet is capable of engaging in aerial combat as well as conducting ground and naval strikes.
• The Su-57 incorporates stealth, supermaneuverability, supercruise, integrated avionics, and a large payload capacity.
• Its first prototype flew in 2010, but various structural and technical issues encountered during testing significantly delayed the development of the Su-57.