‘hero We Held On To’: S-400 Defends India After Us Warned Against Buying It

India’s Russian-made S-400 aerial defence system, dubbed Sudarshan Chakra, intercepted aggregate drones and missiles fired toward subject installations crossed 4 states connected Thursday, neutralising incoming threats pinch precision. 

The successful cognition came contempt years of sustained US unit urging India to cancel nan system’s purchase.

Under nan Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), nan United States had warned of imaginable sanctions connected India for proceeding pinch nan multi-billion dollar woody pinch Russia. Washington pushed for alternatives for illustration nan Patriot and THAAD systems, arguing that Russian hardware could discuss defence interoperability betwixt nan 2 countries.

India stood firm. Officials maintained that nary overseas rule could dictate India’s defence decisions, particularly fixed nan persistent threats from Pakistan and China. The S-400, pinch its superior tracking, range, and multi-target capabilities, was deemed captious to safeguarding Indian airspace.

Deliveries for nan S-400 began successful precocious 2021. The strategy was swiftly deployed and integrated into India’s multi-layered aerial defence network. In this week’s escalation, arsenic Pakistani drones and missiles targeted astatine slightest 15 Indian cities, nan S-400 was activated and successfully intercepted nan incoming projectiles. No harm aliases casualties were reported, underlining nan system’s operational value.

What had erstwhile been a flashpoint successful India-US ties has now go a visible awesome of India’s strategical autonomy. India managed nan fallout done high-level negotiated engagement—emphasising its committedness to deepening ties pinch nan US, while maintaining nan correct to diversify its defence portfolio.

The Biden administration, while maintaining its CAATSA framework, has truthful acold held backmost connected imposing sanctions. Many successful nan US Congress person based on successful favour of a waiver, citing India’s domiciled successful Indo-Pacific stableness and its value successful countering China.

For India, nan Sudarshan Chakra has now moved beyond procurement politics. It is now a tested, operational shield.

Published on: May 9, 2025 1:31 AM IST