Russia, India May Sign Contract on S-400 Air Defense Systems Supplies Soon
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Negotiations between Russia and India on the supplies of S-400 air defense systems are "at the final stage," the contract may be signed any day now, Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev told Sputnik in an interview.
"As far as I know, the negotiations [on the S-400 supplies] are at the final stage. I have received such information from the country’s Defense Ministry. We expect signing of the contract any day now," Kudashev said.
As the Russian diplomat noted, there is nothing surprising in the fact that the negotiations have continued for a while, given the seriousness of the issue.
"It is in the creation of an anti-missile defense of India, which will become a decisive factor in resolving the problems of the air and outer space security of the country for decades. This is a strategic choice, so the balanced and responsible approach of the parties, both Russian and Indian, does not surprise me," the ambassador said.
The S-400 Triumph is Russia's newest long-range anti-aircraft missile system. It is designed to destroy aircraft as well as cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles; it can also be used against ground targets. The range of the S-400 is 400 kilometers; it is capable of destroying targets at an altitude of up to 30 kilometers.