S-400 air defense system in India's hands - will Pakistan be able to counter it?
The S-400 Air Defense is one of the best air defense systems in the world. This air defense system is in the hands of rival India. Now the million dollar question 'Is Pakistan ready to counter it?'
According to experts, the newly acquired S-400 system from Russia and its over-reliance on that it could lead to a miscalculation in India's balance of military power with Pakistan. According to Mansoor Ahmed, an expert in Pakistan's nuclear studies and delivery system and senior fellow at Pakistan-based think tank International Strategic Studies, Indian military analysts are beginning to believe that the air defense system has made India's skies impenetrable. Experts believe that India could make a serious mistake like attacking Pakistan out of sheer enthusiasm.
Delivery of S-400 Regiment in India started in December 2021. About five Regiment S-400s were delivered to India and with the delivery, India started deploying those S-400 regiments on the Indo-Pakistan border.
The S-400's performance as an air defense is great. It has anti-access and area denial capability. The S-400 air defense system is a very effective air defense system against aircraft, UAVs or drones, and ballistic and cruise missiles simultaneously. But India is keen that it could also neutralize Pakistan's nuclear capability. Its multi-level defensive stages include 40 km 9M98E missiles, 120 km range 9M98E2 missiles, 250 km range 48N7 missiles, and 400 km range 40N7E missiles as well as large area coverage to protect itself from high-value targets . An S-400 air defense unit consists of eight launchers, a control center, and sixteen interceptor missiles and radar. Radar coverage of its air defense unit up to 600 km from its deployed location and it can hit any target within 400 km with interceptor missiles.
The S-400 air defense system is highly mobile as well as can be made operational within 5 minutes of launching the missile which makes it avoid detection. However, according to aerospace expert 'Douglas Barry', it would not be right to underestimate it, nor would it be right to overestimate it.
The range of the S-400 is a big factor considering its strength. India has a long border with Pakistan. Therefore, large areas of Pakistan will come under the radar of S-400.
However, despite having so many capabilities, its capability depends on various factors. For example, its capability depends largely on the range of surface-to-air missiles deployed in the operational area. The most important thing is the manpower engaged in its management. The success of the air defense system depends on the efficiency of those who operate the air defense system. Even if a group of unskilled manpower hands over the best weapons in the world, this will become a useless weapons.
Some of India's current air defense systems are their own and the rest are Israeli-made. They are planning to integrate the newly acquired air defense system with it.
However, instead of using this air defense system in the border area with Pakistan, India will deploy its own high-value targets. This is because it is not possible to deploy it in the border area and keep its high-value target safe at the same time. After all, only five regiments have purchased this air defense system which is less than required. On the other hand, China has also deployed S-400 air defense units in Xinjiang and Tibet provinces.
According to defense expert Douglas Barry, the newly purchased India's S-400 air defense system will have little effect on Pakistan's overall credibility but will have little effect. For example, it depends on its effective engagement range. In addition, its performance depends a lot on the characteristics of the land where it is deployed. If the S-400 air defense system is deployed somewhere far away, it can be directly targeted. Specially mentioned that there is Pakistan's Fateh-1 Multiple Rocket System here.
The Fateh-1 Multiple Rocket System has a range of 150 km and is a guided rocket system. So it is a big danger for the Indian S-400.
However, the biggest drawback of the S-400 is Pakistan's electronic warfare system. Pakistan proved their electronic warfare capability in an air battle with India in 2019. They kept the entire airspace of India's Balakot sector jammed during the war. Even then, an Indian helicopter came under friendly fire. For any air defense, it is difficult to avoid MIRV-capable missiles. And Pakistan has that technology. Moreover, the current battle-proof and revolutionary drone Turkish TB-2 is in Pakistan's hands. It could be an impenetrable option against the Indian S-400. Then Pakistan has homemade combat drones Borak and Shahpar.
However, Pakistan's Strategic Plans Division continues to upgrade its nuclear technology, focusing on India's recent acquisition of various latest weapons, such as the S-400, and the responsibility to counter the S-400 falls on Pakistan's Strategic Plans Division. Pakistan's missile tests over the years have demonstrated how far they have come in this technology and the accuracy of those missiles was pinpoint. Pakistan's missile stockpile includes state-of-the-art MIRV Capable Ababil missile systems to counter any missile threat from India. Pakistan has developed the Ababil missile as a game-changer weapon. The S-400, the most advanced air defense system of the time, is not yet battle-proof against any missile.
Destroying an opponent's air defense system is a major achievement for any country's air force. The air defense system of any country is the eyes and ears of the sky of that country. Achieving air superiority over a country is not a difficult task if the air defense system can be destroyed. The huge increase in anti-radiation missiles, electronic counter-measuring systems, and aircraft self-protection systems is the only way to win over any air defense system. The S-400 missile system has another weakness. That is, this air defense unit uses stand-off jamming capable radar to prevent drone attacks. Although the radar can detect about 100 targets, each regiment has fewer interceptor missiles.
Unlike India's S-400 air defense system, Pakistan has been working to counter it with another sector behind the scenes. That sector is a sector that can be revolutionized. This master planning sector in Pakistan is the Stealth Drone Project. The stealthy features of any weapon are very well able to evade the radar and ground radar of the air defense system. The name of this groundbreaking drone project in Pakistan is ZF-1. According to the famous defense magazine 'Defense News', it was introduced in the exhibition at the biennial conference of Pakistan in 2016 and its prototype can fly in the sky at any time. India also has its own stealth drone project called Ghatak under the Defense Research and Development Organization. However, so far it has not received much recognition.
But Pakistan could have another chance against India's S-400 air defense system. Both China and Turkey have this air defense system. Both countries are friends of Pakistan. Through them, various exercises, Pakistan can know the various details and weaknesses of the S-400 air defense system. Indirectly, Pakistan will get help from China and Turkey in this regard. This is a very big plus point for Pakistan.
Other alternative options available to Pakistan include the DF-16, a hypersonic missile mounted on a Chinese hypersonic glide vehicle capable of counter-attacking the S-400. China has given the missile to North Korea. As such, they can give the missile to Pakistan. The range of the DF-16 missile is 2500 kilometers. It can run 8 to 10 times faster than sound. It is almost impossible for any air defense radar to detect it. Pakistan has got an air defense system from China which can be balanced with the S-400 air defense system.
Pakistan recently acquired a Chinese-made HQ-9B air defense system with a range of 240 km. It is based on Russian air defense system technology. The company behind Russia's S-400 air defense system is Sukhoi Corporation's Almaz-Ante technology. The same technology is in the hands of China.
According to defense experts, it is very difficult to jam the radar of HQ Nine Air Defense System. The missiles in this air defense system use active radar for terminal guidance.
Current air defense systems are being built based on the technology of their opponents such as anti-radiation missiles, drones, and cruise missiles that can destroy air defense units.
References: Defense News, Eurasia Times
Jobair Tuaha
Hi, I'm Jobair Tuaha, owner of the 'Tech Defense' website. From curiosity of knowing unknown, I'm passionate of writing Tech blog as well as modern Tech Gadgets review. By this attempt, I formed this platform.
