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India Strengthening Air Defence: Rising tensions between Iran, Israel and the US in the Middle East and frequent missile and drone attacks have forced countries around the world to rethink their air security. In this context, India is taking rapid steps to strengthen its air defense system. According to the latest reports of 3 March 2026, India is not only going to get its most deadly ‘Sudarshan’ (S-400) systems, but is also planning to buy state-of-the-art missiles from France and Israel.

5 additional squadrons planned from Russia

India plans to buy five more squadrons of S-400 Sudarshan air defense systems from Russia with the aim of doubling its long-range air defence. It is noteworthy that under the agreement signed in 2018, three out of five squadrons have been delivered and the remaining two are expected to arrive by 2026-27. Now with the additional five squadrons, India will strengthen its presence on both the eastern and western fronts. This system is capable of shooting down enemy aircraft, drones and ballistic missiles at a range of 400 kilometers.

Success of Operation Vermillion boosts India’s confidence in S-400 ‘Operation Vermillion’ It has increased further after the success of. During the conflict with Pakistan in May 2025, the system shot down several Pakistani fighter planes and drones. While systems like China’s HQ-9 are proving unsuccessful in the Iran-Israel conflict, the accuracy of the S-400 has made it a ‘game-changer’ for India. Have made it.

Deadly missile deal with France and Israel

The Indian Air Force and Navy are preparing to purchase a large number of SCALP long-range cruise missiles from France to increase their firepower. The estimated value of this deal is said to be around 300 million euros. Additionally, Meteor air-to-air missiles with a range of more than 150 km are also being ordered for Rafale fighter aircraft. To further strengthen air security, consideration is also going on to purchase Barak-8 from Israel and anti-drone Pantsir system from Russia.

Combination of indigenous and modern technology

India is not dependent only on foreign weapons, but is preparing a multi-layer defense system. In this, along with indigenous Akash and QR-SAM systems, the possibility of Russia’s S-500 system is also being explored for the future, which has the ability to intercept hypersonic missiles. Learning from the Iran conflict, India is now building a shield to deal with the threats of cheap drones and missiles that can ensure complete security of cities, military bases and borders.