India has begun deploying the Russian S-400 air defense missile system in the northwestern state of Punjab, local media reported on Tuesday.
The Indian Air Force is deploying the S-400 on the western border to counter possible threats from Pakistan and China, Asian News International (ANI) reported.
The S-400 batteries will be capable of dealing with airborne threats from Pakistan and China, ANI quoted local sources as saying.
Russia has started supplying India with the S-400 Triumf, a mobile and surface-to-air missile defense system via air and sea routes that will be promptly deployed in the designated locations, it added.
The first deliveries of Russia’s powerful S-400 air defense missile system are expected to be completed by the end of this year, with the unit being operationalized in the next few weeks.
The air force will focus on the eastern front after completing its deployment in the Punjab state, according to the report, and provide resources for training personnel in the country.
In Russia, several Indian Air Force officers and personnel have already gotten training on the system.
On Dec. 6, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said Russia had begun deliveries to the country of the S-400.
