During a meeting in Qingdao, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urged Russia to expedite S-400 deliveries and upgrade India’s Su-30MKI fleet. The push comes after India’s air defence success in Operation Sindoor last month. 

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov met in the Chinese city of Qingdao and discussed a range of issues, including upgradation of Sukhoi-30MKI fighter fleet, supply of S-400 air defence systems and procurement of critical military hardware in expeditious timeframes.

The bilateral meeting was held on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisations (SCO) at Qingdao on Thursday.

As Asianet Newsable English reported earlier this month that Russia has assured the delivery of remaining two regiments of S-400 air defence systems by August 2026, the Russian Defence Minister reiterated that these units will be supplied within the stipulated time frame.

It should be noted that the S-400 systems had played a critical role during Operation Sindoor last month, destroying Pakistan’s aerial assets meant to target India’s military as well civilian infrastructures. On May 7, India launched a military operation against terror hubs deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Jammu and Kashmir, which the Pakistani side later escalated to target military as well as civilian installations.

India’s air defence systems thwarted all attempts that Pakistan carried out during those four days of military conflicts.

India asks for pending S-400 supplies

In 2018, India inked a contract worth USD 5.43 billion (₹40,000 crore) with Russia for the procurement of five S-400 Squadrons by 2024. The delivery schedule got delayed due to a disruption in the supply chain that erupted in the wake of ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.

India has, so far, received and deployed three squadrons in the northwest and east to counter threats emanating from Pakistan and China.

Notably, each S-400 squadron includes two missile batteries loaded with 128 missiles.

Upgrading Su30MKI jets

Currently, the Indian Air Force is operating with 260 Sukhoi 30-MKI fighter jets and it is looking at upgrading the fleet.

During the Singh-Belousov meeting, the focus was also on upgrading India’s Su-30MKI fighter jet fleet, crucial for air dominance.

India also seeks enhancements including advanced radars, electronic warfare systems, and integration of modern air-to-air missiles to counter evolving aerial threats.

The urgency for these upgrades has intensified since May, driven by increased threats on India’s western and eastern fronts.

It is pertinent to mention here that this was Singh's first foreign visit since India launched its Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.