IDN TAKE: S-400 Triumf a Game Changer for India

Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf

India has shown interest in acquiring the advanced and versatile S-400 Triumf Air Defense System from Russia. In October 2015, it was reported that India's defence acquisition committee was set to clear Indian Air Force proposal of buying 12 S-400 systems.

The S-400 SAM family is one of the most advanced and capable operational SAM systems in the world today. The Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf or NATO Reporting Name: SA-21 Growler system is the most recent evolution of the S-300P family of SAM systems, initially tested in 1999. The S-400 is a long-range, mobile strategic SAM system. The system has been produced in numerous variants, and remained in production for export in late 2009.

The successor system, the S-400 Triumf, is largely an evolution of the S-300P series, and is now entering the export market. At least one report claims that funding for the development of the Triumf was provided in part by China. The principal distinctions between the S-400 and its predecessor lie in further refinements to the radars and software.

From its genesis during the 1970's this former Soviet PVO system has continuously evolved, through a series of incremental and larger enhancements. At this time the China is the largest single user of this family of weapons, after the Russian Federation which inherited the considerable inventory operated by the Voyska PVO.

91N6E Big Bird Phased Array Acquisition and Battle Management Radar carried by an MZKT-7930 vehicle

While the S-300P/S-400 series is often labelled as 'Russia's Patriot', the system in many key respects is more capable than the US Patriot series, and in later variants offers mobility performance and thus survivability much better than that of the Patriot. The Patriot system is in reality a pitiful semblance of Russia's S-400 Air Defense System. The introduction of the 64N6 Big Bird series of phased array acquisition radars in later variants provides them with many of the capabilities of the US SPY-1 Aegis system, in a highly mobile SAM system.

An S-400 battery has three kinds of missiles, each intended to engage aerial targets at different ranges. The longest ranged SAM can engage at 400km, with shorter-ranged missiles compensating with enhanced capabilities for killing fast, maneuverable targets. The S-400 can also engage ballistic missiles.

Rapidly deployable, high survivable, and highly lethal, these weapons are especially difficult to counter and require significant capabilities to robustly defeat. With superb missile kinematics, high power-aperture phased array radar capability, high jam resistance and high mobility, the S-400 system would change the character and duration of air war campaigns. It can be launched against AWACS, J-STARS, EA-6B support jammers and other high-value targets. The US Air Force currently envisages the F-22A Raptor as the primary weapon used to defeat these capable systems.

The S-400 was developed by the Almaz-Antey corporation. It uses multiple missile variants to shoot down stealth aircraft, UAVs, cruise missiles and sub-strategic ballistic missiles. Its operational range for aerodynamic targets is about 250 km and for ballistic targets 60 km. The S-400 can engage up to 36 targets simultaneously.

INTERCEPTORS

The S-400 uses the 48N6 and 9M96 missiles to intercept ballistic missiles. The 48N6DM was reported to be specifically designed for S-400. In July 2012, a new missile designated 40N6 with a range of up to 400 km passed state trials. Russia’s Air and Missile Defense Command Chief-of-Staff Major General Andrei Demin said, the missile will be delivered “Soon”.

The S-400 Triumph also launches 9M96E and 9M96E2 medium range ground-to-air missiles. Designed for direct impact, the missiles can strike fast moving targets such as fighter aircraft with a high hit probability. The maximum range of the 9M96 missile is 120km.

77N6-N Missile Launch Cannister

Two new missiles are under development for the S-400: the 77N6-N and the 77N6-N1. They were reported to be capable of direct engagement with targets flying at hypersonic speeds (seven kilometers per second).

Brand New 77N6-N & 77N6-N1 Missiles at an Integration Rig

Igor Ashurbeili, former Almaz-Antey Central Design Bureau General Director, called the S-400 “a truly high-technology product with major export potential.” In spite of the high interest in S-400 from abroad, Russia has not started exporting it yet. First, Rosoboronexport said, domestic demand needs to be satisfied.

CONCLUSION

Introduction of the S-400 system will be a game changer for India, and thankfully and finally a equitable balance will fall into place since China has also decided to introduce this system.

Conventional unstealthy, or partially stealthy combat aircraft will have difficulty surviving within the coverage of the S-400 systems - the high transmit power, large radar and missile seeker apertures, low sidelobes, generous use of monopulse angle tracking and extensive ECCM features make these systems difficult to jam effectively.  (Adapted from the works of Dr Carlo Kopp and Peter Goon and other Internet Sources)

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