What is the issue ?
All major bilateral defence contracts, including deliveries of the S-400 air defence missile systems, are on schedule and the Covid-19 pandemic will have no effect on their implementation timeline, the Indian Ambassador to Russia Bala Venkatesh Varma has said.
"There was a slight shift in the supply schedule by two weeks, but all key contracts will be implemented…I do not expect any problems," Varma told Russian official news agency TASS.
In February, Vladimir Drozhzhov, Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of Russia, said that the first batch of S-400s would be delivered by the end of 2021.
About S-400 Missile system
The S-400 Triumph (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is an air defence missile system developed by Almaz Central Design Bureau of Russia. The new system replaced the S-300P and S-200 air defence systems of the Russian Army.
The S-400 was developed as an upgrade of the S-300 series of surface-to-air missile systems. The system entered service in April 2007 and the first S-400 was deployed in combat in August 2007. Russia set up four S-400 regiments defending national airspace in the Moscow region, the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, and the Eastern Military District.
The air defence units of Southern Military District were rearmed with advanced S-400 Triumph by the end of 2012.
About the Deal
In October 2018, Moscow and New Delhi signed a contract for the supply of five sets of the S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems (air defence systems) worth more than $5 billion. The completion of the fifth set is planned in the first half of 2025.