Russian defense system deliveries to India on schedule
Russia's deliveries of the S-400 missile defense system to India are on schedule, Reuters news agency reported Wednesday, citing Russian news agency Interfax.
The S-400 surface-to-air missile system is one of the world's most advanced long-range missile defense systems and a key element in India's air defense architecture known as the "Sudarshan Chakra."
Named after a Hindu god's divine spinning discus, Hindu mythology considers the Sudarashan Chakra one of the most powerful and infallible weapons.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first announced Mission Sudarshan Chakra on India's Independence Day in 2025, in the aftermath of the clashes with Pakistan, which saw the rival neighbors exchange missiles and drone attacks for days.
Since the near-war situation, India has stepped up efforts to update its defense capabilities, both by procuring technology from its allies and by indigenous development.
India's trade ties with long-time ally Russia have increasingly come under scrutiny since US President Donald Trump retook office.
Last year, the US imposed 50% trade tariffs on India despite being a strategic ally, largely because India ramped up its imports of Russian crude oil amid the war in Ukraine.
New Delhi agreed to pull back from those purchases earlier this year and has only recently returned to buying some Russian oil due to the global oil shock caused by the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
But aside from oil, Russia remains the largest defense exporter to India.
India has reiterated its multi-alignment foreign policy as global conflicts group nations in cliques. Experts say that while New Delhi has managed to walk the tightrope so far, it could soon be forced to choose between Washington and Moscow.
