NEW DELHI. India and Russia signed for approximately above $5 billion contract to supply India with the S-400 Triumf long-range air defence missile systems (ADMS).

The deal, which is the biggest ever in company history of Rosoboronexport (part of the Rostec State Corporation), was signed in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The signing of agreement were much in talks and speculations were rife whether India would sign it following warning of the United States of imposing sanctions.

“The S-400 supply agreement with India is a new landmark in the history of military-technical cooperation between our countries. The deal demonstrates the highest level of trust and understanding between India and Russia. I am sure that this agreement will also be a new impulse for strengthening and deepening our cooperation in civil industry,” said the Head of Rostec State Corporation Sergey Chemezov.

The main advantage of the S-400 lies in its versatility. The system is able to engage both all types of aerodynamic targets and ballistic missiles, up to intermediate-range ballistic missiles. The Triumph is far superior to its foreign counterparts in maximum engagement range and minimum engagement altitude, emplacement/displacement time, as well as in a number of other key characteristics.

“The contract for the supply of S-400 Triumph air defense missile systems to India is the biggest for the entire period of military-technical cooperation between Russia and India and the largest in history of Rosoboronexport. Today we begin to execute it,” Head of Rosoboronexport Alexander Mikheev said.

Regular meetings between the leaders of Russia and India give strong impetus to the development of relations between the countries and play an important role in expanding and strengthening military-technical cooperation, which has been underway since 1960. Since then, exports of Russian military products to India have exceeded $65 billion.

“Rosoboronexport is ready to cooperate with India in any areas. At the moment, a number of other major contracts for the supply of Russian weapons to India are in the final stages of preparation and we hope they will be signed soon,” Mikheev added.