How is S-400 air defence system technically superior to any other system presently available in the world?. UPSC IAS Mains 2021 General Studies (Paper – 3)
The S-400 Triumf is a mobile, surface-to-air missile system (SAM) designed by Russia. It is the most dangerous operationally deployed modern long-range SAM (MLR SAM) in the world, considered much ahead of the US-developed Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system (THAAD). India is engaged with Russia for the purchase of five S-400 Missile Systems.
How S 400 is different from others?
- S-400 Triumf is considered one of the world’s most advanced air defence systems that can simultaneously track and neutralize a range of incoming objects spanning aircraft, missiles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).
- Each system has four different types of missiles for up to 40 km, 120 km, 250 km and maximum range of 400 km and up to 30 km altitude. The different ranges and varying altitudes create a layered air defence net.
- Unlike S-400, the American THAAD is a one-dimensional missile system as it can fire only one type of missile upto a range of 150-200 km and Patriot has a range of 180 km.
- THAAD cannot intercept a fighter jet while S-400 can.
- The deployment time for S-400 and Patriot is 5 minutes and 25 minutes respectively.
- The maximum target speed of S-400 is 4.8km/sec as compared to 1.38km/sec of Patriot.
Even though buying S-400 from Russia attracted criticism from the US under the CAATSA agreement, the purchase of the much-awaited S-400 for India was inevitable keeping its volatile neighbors in mind.
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