After Testing Decisive S-400, India Eyes S-500 Sky Shield – Know The Superweapon That Can Kill Even Satellites

New Delhi: The contemporary showdown between India and Pakistan used to be one thing South Asia had no longer observed in a long time. High-stakes and blazing aerial conflict between the 2 countries lit up the skies from May 6-10. Launched at the intervening evening of May 6 and 7 to serve justice to the sufferers of April 22 Pakistan-sponsored Pahalgam terror assault, which killed 26 blameless civilians, Operation Sindoor used to be greater than an army offensive. It used to be a masterclass in fashionable air defence.

As Indian Air Force jets introduced precision moves deep into Pakistan and PoK, hitting terror launchpads with surgical fury, Islamabad struck again with a volley of missiles and drone swarms geared toward India’s border states – Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat. The intent used to be loud and transparent – retaliate, injury and disrupt. But what used to be intended to create havoc became a textbook instance of air defence dominance, due to India’s silent sentinel – the S-400 triumph.

Layered like a virtual fort throughout India’s inclined frontiers, the S-400 intercepted incoming threats in genuine time and compelled Pakistani fighter jets to go into reverse or reroute. Drone after drone fell from the sky. Missiles misplaced their chunk. Civilian spaces had been spared what can have been fatal devastation.

Military analysts say the S-400’s efficiency used to be no longer simplest efficient but additionally decisive. Multi-layered monitoring, fast reconfiguration and precision-targeting gave India a tactical edge that blunted Pakistan’s retaliation ahead of it hit the bottom.

What makes the S-400 so fatal? Manufactured by way of Russia’s Almaz Central Design Bureau, this long-range surface-to-air missile device detects aerial threats as much as 600 km away and will strike down stealth airplane, cruise missiles, fighter jets or even ballistic goals at a spread of as much as 400 km. Think of it as a dad or mum angel with an overly lengthy sword.

India purchased 5 S-400 squadrons in a large Rs 35,000 crore ($5.4 billion) deal in 2018. Deployed in Punjab in 2021, the primary squadron has been constructed with one function, which is deterring any airborne aggression from Pakistan or China. Its 3 squadrons, as of now, are totally operational, whilst the remainder are at the means.

The weapon is popularly referred to as ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ throughout the army. Enough mentioned. India isn’t preventing on the S-400. So what’s subsequent?

Enter the S-500 Prometheus – the next-gen beast that may shoot down hypersonic missiles, observe items in area and knock out satellites in low earth orbit. This device performs within the space-war league.

With a 2,000-km detection fluctuate and the power to take out threats at 600 km, the S-500 is a geopolitical remark along with being a missile protect. Armed with hit-to-kill interceptors and real-time monitoring of 10 goals directly, it’s designed for the wars of day after today. India might be its first international buyer.

The CAATSA Complication

But its acquisition isn’t so easy. There is a catch and that too a large one. The United State’s CAATSA regulation threatens sanctions towards countries that purchase primary fingers from Russia. While India were given a short lived waiver for the S-400 (due to Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna), no such ensure exists for the S-500.

So right here lies India’s conundrum – improve a weapon device that would outline long term air dominance or tread moderately to steer clear of rocking the diplomatic boat with Washington.

If India manages to get S-500, it’ll no longer simplest protect its skies but additionally rewrite the foundations of the sport.