Destruction of Russia’s costly plane by own S-400 missile system drops bombshell on India
Islamabad: The news about destruction of a pair of high-tech four-engine Russian military planes called A-50U AWACS over the Sea of Azov by Russia’s own S-400 ADS battery in a ‘friendly fire’ has come as bombshell for India under Narendra Modi government, engaged in stockpiling modern weapons and defense systems including the same S-400 missiles from Russia and other major powers.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the four-engine AWACS jet, called an A-50, reportedly costs around $300 million – equivalent to four Russian top-line Su-35 fighter jets. It is designed to monitor air space up to a distance of 400 kilometers and crammed with advanced electronics.
The Sunday’s incident was the most painful air setbacks suffered by the Kremlin in the entire Russo-Ukrainian War. The significance of the plane can be gauged from the fact that current estimates of the total number of A-50s operated by the Russian air force ranges from 10 to 15 planes. Russia does not export the aircraft.
But aside from the bottom line on the damage bill, many questions remain unanswered.
Official Kremlin sources by midday Monday had not commented on how the planes were destroyed. But Russian military bloggers claimed the Russian S-400 ADS battery mistakenly shot down own Air Force A-50U AWACS and damaged another IL-22M command/ELINT aircraft, due to mistaken identity.
In view of the above development, political analysts ask whether India, which is far less advanced in modern technology than Russia, can handle such a situation? Is it not wise for New Delhi, they suggest, to continue the path of weapon race in the region, rather it must opt for a dialogue course to settle issues with Pakistan peacefully and spend money on the welfare of its poor public.
