IAF's S-125 Pechora Air Defence System Set for Phased Retirement by 2030, Akash NG and MRSAM to Take Over

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to gradually retire its aging S-125 Pechora (NATO reporting name: SA-3 Goa) surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems by 2030. A mainstay of India's air defence since the 1970s, the Pechora will be replaced by the more modern Akash NG and MRSAM systems as part of the IAF's ongoing modernization efforts.

Originally inducted to protect airfields and critical Ministry of Defence infrastructure, the Pechora has been a workhorse of India's air defence network. With 30 units deployed across the country and 16 squadrons still operational, it has played a crucial role in safeguarding Indian airspace.

In 2016, the IAF implemented upgrades to extend the Pechora's service life. These upgrades included refurbishment, full digitization, and integration with the Integrated Area Command and Control System (IACCS), allowing the Pechora to operate in a networked environment. An upgraded guidance radar was also incorporated to improve tracking and engagement capabilities.

Despite these life-extension efforts, the Pechora is now considered outdated in the face of modern aerial threats. Its phased retirement aligns with the induction of newer, more capable systems like the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM), jointly developed by India and Israel, and the Akash Next Generation (Akash NG), an advanced variant of the indigenous Akash SAM.

These modern systems offer superior range, accuracy, and multi-target engagement capabilities, making them better suited to counter contemporary threats such as stealth aircraft, drones, and precision-guided munitions.

While the IAF is working to fully integrate the MRSAM and Akash NG into its air defence network, an immediate extension of the Pechora's service life is necessary to maintain operational readiness. This is a temporary measure to bridge the gap until the replacement systems are fully deployed.

 

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[Chinese eater]

Donate it to millitary universities and challenges fresh graduates to make newer versions to match future challenges.

 

[Mango_Indian]

In the right hands, this "outdated" missile downed the F-117S "stealth bomber". That too, not an upgraded SA-3 like the ones IAF currently fields. I am not even counting the F-16s, F-15s or the Predator drones..

Don't write it off just yet!!

 

[Kira]

Compared to modern AD missile systems, these older Soviet ones kinda look like a toy.

 

[Rinku Pandey]

@Mango_Indian
No F15s have ever been shot down.

 

[vickram 007]

Use them to shoot down bayrakter around chicken neck and enforcement a no fly policy

 

[Jagroshan singh]

@Mango_Indian
No F15s have ever been shot down.

Sorry, but that is incorrect.

Two F-15E Strike Eagles were shot down by Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery and missiles on January 17 and 20, 1991 (Operation Desert Storm), respectively. Both crew members ejected and were taken as prisoners of war (POWs).

 

[Anant]

In the right hands, this "outdated" missile downed the F-117S "stealth bomber". That too, not an upgraded SA-3 like the ones IAF currently fields. I am not even counting the F-16s, F-15s or the Predator drones..

Don't write it off just yet!!

Yeah... no. Firstly, the F-117 was fairly non-stealthy by modern standards. Moreover, if you look into the shoot-down, you'll realise a few things: The US pilots took the same route to and from the target repeatedly, to the point that the Serbs knew the path well. Moreover, the shootdown itself involved a lot of luck as the missile was essentially fires blind.

Oh, and F-15s and F-16s of the 2020s and 2030s are a far different beast than those of the 1980s and 1990s.