Indigenous answer to S400

 Integral to any Air Defense System is the radar used for detection and tracking. India's Swordfish LRTR is more advanced and capable than S400 and can spot objects as small as a cricket ball (3-inches in diameter) with an effective range of 1500 kms. There are efforts afoot to increase the range even further.

Read:  About Swordfish radar

Now let us examine a few indigenous alternative to each part of the ADS

I. Barak-8 MRSAM

Comparable to the 9M96E missile of S400 with a range of 80-100 km. It uses the more modern VLS. DRDO has developed an all terrain, all weather, point defense with a fast reaction called QRSAM. They are very effective for low flying aerial targets like the drones and cruise missiles.

II. XRSAM (Extra long range Surface to air missile)

Still under development by DRDO, these can be compared to 40N6E of the S400 which has a maximum range of 400 km and 48N6 which can engage targets upto 250 km. The proposed Indian system will also be able to engage stealth fighters, sea skimming anti ship missiles (AShM) and ballistic missiles in the terminal phase.

It will have a range of 350 km against cruise missiles and large slow moving targets like AWACS. Against more agile and smaller targets, a range of 250 km is applicable.

III. Advanced Air Defence (Ashwin Ballistic Missile Interceptor)

"An endo-atmospheric interceptor for incoming ballistic missiles. The ground radar provides passive guidance with active radar honing used only in the terminal phase. The maximum interception altitude of 40 km exceeds the 40N6E by 10 km. DRDO Chief, Dr V K Saraswat stated in an Interview "Our studies have indicated that this AAD will be able to handle a cruise missile intercept".

IV. Prithvi Air Defence (Pradyumna Ballistic missile interceptor)

An exo-atmospheric interceptor for incoming ballistic missiles. It is capable of destroying targets at a high altitude of maximum 80 km. Its first stage rocket is solid fuel but the second stage rocket is liquid fuelled.

V. PDV & PDV Mk2 (Prithvi Defence Vehicle)

The PDV is much more capable as compared to PAD (Prithvi Air Defence). Having a maximum ceiling of 180 km and a range of 5000 km it is slated to replace the PAD (Prithvi Air Defence)

The Mk2 variant is an anti satellite missile. The maximum engagement ceiling being 1,200 km and target velocity 10 km/second

Phase 2 of BMD

This phase which  consist of two hypersonic missiles AD1 and AD2 capable of intercepting and destroying a missile at ranges of 1500km and 3000km, has commenced from the year 2022. Guidance systems are understandably far more robust and agile.

Projectiles approaching at a high speed can effectively be neutralised by this land based ADS. It can be mounted on 8×8 TEL trucks and can also be adapted for Naval Warships.The endo-atmospheric missile AD1 is already ready