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The Indian Air Force (IAF) has definitively ruled out any reduction in its planned procurement of the indigenous Project Kusha air defence system, ending speculation that a potential follow-on order for Russian S-400 regiments might impact the domestic programme.
Speaking to Aero India Features, senior IAF officials confirmed that all ten sanctioned squadrons of the long-range system will be inducted as originally planned.
No Compromise on Indigenous Capability
Recent reports following President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi in December 2025 suggested that Moscow had offered five additional regiments of the S-400 Triumf (locally designated as the Sudarshan Chakra).This sparked anxiety within the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and domestic industry partners that the ₹21,700-crore Project Kusha—formally sanctioned by the Cabinet Committee on Security in May 2025—might face budgetary or numerical cuts.
However, a senior air defence planner dismissed these concerns, stating that India’s security requirements are too extensive to treat the two systems as an "either-or" choice.
“India is simply too large, and the threat envelope too vast, for us to choose between the S-400 and Kusha,” the official stated. “We need both — in their full sanctioned numbers.”
The Strategic Necessity: ‘Ten Red Pins’
The IAF’s insistence on maintaining the full order stems from a "brutally straightforward" assessment of India’s geography. With a land border spanning 3,287 km and a coastline of 7,516 km, defence planners argue that the current inventory is insufficient for a two-front war scenario.Illustrating the challenge, the official noted that even with the five existing S-400 regiments—currently deployed or undergoing final integration—and a hypothetical five additional imported units, the total of ten ultra-long-range systems would still leave dangerous gaps in coverage.
“Put ten red pins on the map for S-400 and Kusha, and you immediately see the gaps,” the officer explained. “From Ladakh to Arunachal, Gujarat to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the depth areas stretching hundreds of kilometres inland, there are simply not enough systems to create overlapping air defence bubbles against a saturation attack.”
Complementary Strengths
IAF planners view Project Kusha and the S-400 as complementary assets rather than duplicates.While the Russian S-400 is unmatched in specific roles, such as engaging low-Radar Cross Section (RCS) targets at 400 km and neutralising AWACS or refuelling aircraft at extreme ranges, Project Kusha brings unique indigenous advantages.
The Kusha system, often referred to in open sources as the Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM), is designed with a three-tiered interception capability. It utilises missiles with ranges of 150 km, 250 km, and 350 km to create a layered shield.
Crucially, the system features fully indigenous active-array radars—such as the S-band Long Range Battle Management Radar (LRBMR) capable of detecting targets over 500 km away—and advanced seekers.
This indigenous architecture offers the IAF freedom from international sanctions, faster turnaround times for spare parts, and seamless integration with the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS). Furthermore, it is future-proofed for integration with next-generation hypersonic interceptors.
Industrial Scale and Timeline
A key factor driving the commitment to Kusha is the economics of sustained combat.The indigenous missiles can be produced in significantly larger numbers and at a fraction of the cost of the imported 48N6 and 40N6 rounds used by the S-400. This cost-efficiency is vital for maintaining high-intensity operations during a prolonged conflict.
Under the approved plan, each Kusha squadron will consist of eight firing units (launchers), each carrying 12 missiles, supported by two 3D long-range surveillance radars and multifunction fire-control radars.
The complete order of ten squadrons will effectively add 120 launchers and nearly 1,500 missiles to India’s arsenal.
The DRDO has reportedly begun freezing the design configurations for the Tier-1 and Tier-2 missiles. The first guided flight tests are scheduled for late 2027, with user trials expected to commence by 2029–30.
Production partners Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) are currently scaling up their infrastructure to deliver a combined output of 300–400 missiles annually by 2032.
