What is the timeframe for India to acquire the S-500 missile defense system from Russia?

New Delhi is reportedly interested in acquiring Russia’s next-generation S-500 Prometheus system, even as it has increased its existing fleet of S-400 Triumf batteries.

However, India‘s intention to obtain the S-500 hinges on the approval of Russia’s top military and political authorities – as immediate delivery seems unlikely due to the system’s strategic significance and limited operational availability.

India may need to wait several more years to secure the S-500 – export restrictions highlight the sensitive nature of the system’s role within Russia’s nuclear command and control framework.

So far, Moscow has not confirmed whether the S-500 will be supplied to foreign clients – a deliberate ambiguity that raises concerns for potential buyers like India, China, and possibly Turkey regarding their future air and missile defense strategies.

For New Delhi, the S-500 is intended to address the gap created by the delay in its Kusha project, which is a long-range indigenous layered air defense system.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) project aims to create a long-range surface-to-air missile system.

The goal is to develop a new family of missiles capable of countering next-generation threats, including stealth aircraft, supersonic cruise missiles, manoeuvrable re-entry vehicles, and hypersonic glide vehicles.

Project Kusha is designed to fill the performance gap between India’s medium-range air defense systems, such as the MR-SAM (with an 80 km engagement range), and the S-400 Triumf (with a 400 km range), ensuring strategic self-reliance in the face of geopolitical pressures on the supply chain.

Under this project, three missile variants are being developed: the M1 with a range of 150 km, the M2 with a range of 250 km, and the M3 with a potential range of 350–400 km — essentially aiming to create an indigenous alternative to the S-400 and, in the future, the S-500.

Nevertheless, Project Kusha is still years away from being deployed on the front lines, with India’s current reality being that proven Russian hardware is in use.

The US$5.4 billion S-400 agreement, finalized during the BRICS summit in New Delhi in October 2018, reinforced Russia’s role as India’s ally in strategic air defense technology. The signing event, conducted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin, symbolized a strengthening security partnership that resisted Washington’s influence under the CAATSA sanctions framework.

According to the initial agreement, India committed to purchasing five S-400 squadrons, with the first unit delivered in December 2021 and stationed at Pathankot Air Base in Punjab. The second squadron was delivered in July 2022 and deployed in Sikkim. The third squadron commenced operations in the Rajasthan-Gujarat area in February 2023.

With three squadrons now fully operational, the remaining two will be supplied in phases by 2026. Priced between USD 500 million and USD 800 million per squadron, the S-400 is regarded as the most economical option in its category, often compared to the US THAAD and Patriot PAC-3 systems.

US officials have consistently cautioned about possible CAATSA repercussions for India’s S-400 agreement, yet these warnings have not been enforced.

By enhancing its defense capabilities with the S-400 and potentially the S-500, India aims to counter the threats from its two nuclear-armed neighbors, Pakistan and China. The regional strategic landscape becomes increasingly complex with the introduction of China’s next-generation air defense systems, such as the HQ-19, which matches the S-500’s anti-missile functions.

In this challenging context, India’s decision to strengthen its defense collaboration with Russia, along with accelerating domestic development under Project Kusha, illustrates the geopolitical reality that future conflicts will challenge not only aircraft and bombers but also the speed, precision, and depth of multi-layered kill chains and integrated command.

Indian policymakers must consider the long-term advantages of obtaining the S-500—a system designed to intercept ballistic missiles at ranges of up to 600 kilometers and altitudes of 200 kilometers—against the challenging realities of export limitations and the possible reactions from rival suppliers.

As the competition for anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) supremacy escalates throughout Asia, the critical issue is not if India will enhance its multi-tiered air defense system—but rather how it will navigate the complexities of Russian equipment, Western influences, and domestic technological advancements.