India Receives First Batch of Russian Igla-S Portable Air Defense Systems

NEW DELHI – Indian armed forces received first batch of 24 Russian Igla-S portable air defense systems and 100 missiles.

This news was revealed by the Indian news portal The Print on Monday (8/4/2024).

In November, India and Russia signed a contract for the supply of 120 systems and 400 missiles. Although the first system is being supplied from Russia, the rest will reportedly be manufactured in India.

The Indian military currently uses the outdated Igla-1M portable air defense system, according to an article in The Print.

Observers praise the quality of Russia’s weapons, which have proven their effectiveness against Western-supplied weapons from Ukraine during the Donbass conflict.

“It is no exaggeration to describe Russia’s tank-building traditions as the most advanced in the world,” said Brian Berletic, a geopolitical analyst and former US Marine.

He explained, “Russia has for years sought to make itself more independent in general… This clearly paid off when Western sanctions in 2022 failed to have the crippling impact that Washington, London and Brussels had hoped for, and instead backfired on the West Alone.”

(she)