S-400: Economics of Sudarshan Chakra and Comparative analysis

The S-400 is an air defence system capable of eliminating various aerial threats such as missiles, drones, aircraft, etc. In October 2018, India signed a $5 billion deal with Russia to purchase five units of the S-400 air defence missile system. The S-400 is considered one of the world's most advanced long-range air defence systems. China was the first country to purchase the S-400 system in 2014.

S-400 MISSILE TYPES

The S-400 does not use a single type of missile; it is equipped with multiple types, each designed for different ranges and threat levels. The system automatically identifies the threat, and the appropriate missile is launched to eliminate the target. The various missile types include

MISSILE TYPE	MAXIMUM RANGE	TARGET ALTITUDE	TARGET TYPE
9M96E	40 KM	UPTO 30 KM	fighter aircraft
9M96E2	120 KM	UPTO 30 KM	fast jets, precision-guided munitions
48N6	250 KM	UPTO 30 KM	aircraft, cruise missiles
40N6	400 KM	UPTO 30 KM	aircraft, AWACS, missiles

Comparative analysis

There are other surface-to-air missile defence systems developed by the United States and Israel. Israel’s Iron Dome has performed magnificently and proved its effectiveness during the Israel-Hamas conflict, where it intercepted more than 95% of the incoming drones.

Feature / Metric	S-400	THAAD (USA)	IRON DOME
System Type	Long-range	Long-range	Short-range
Primary Role	Aircraft, cruise & ballistic	Ballistic missile defence	Rocket, mortar & drone defence
Max Range	400 km	~200 km	4 – 70 km
Max Altitude	~185 km	~150–200 km	10 – 15 km
Missile Cost (Est.)	$1–2 million	$11–15 million	~$40,000
Typical Targets	Jets, cruise, ballistic missiles	MRBMs (exo-atmospheric)	Rockets, artillery, drones
Use Against Kamikaze Drone	Technically possible (overkill)	Not suitable	Specifically designed for it
Cost to Kill 1 Kamikaze Drone	~$2 million	~$15 million	~$40,000
Incoming Drone Cost (e.g., Shahed)	~$20,000	~$20,000	~$20,000
Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (CE Ratio)	100:1	750:1	2:1
Countries Using It	Russia, India, China, Turkey	USA, UAE, S. Korea, Saudi Arabia	Israel
Feasibility vs Low-Cost Drones	Economically unsustainable	Not viable	Ideal & scalable
Verdict	High-end air defence; overkill	Strategic BM defence only	Best option for drone swarms

Akash Air Defence System

The Made in India Akash surface-to-air missile air defence system has been effectively used by the Indian armed forces in foiling Pakistani attacks towards Indian targets. Both the Indian Army and Air Force have the missile system all along the Pakistan border.

Feature	🇮🇳 Akash Air Defence System	🇷🇺 S-400
System Type	Medium-range Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM)	Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM)
Primary Role	Intercepts fighter jets, UAVs, cruise missiles	Intercepts aircraft, drones, cruise & ballistic missiles
Max Range	~25–30 km (Akash NG: up to 40 km)	Up to 400 km (with 40N6 missile)
Max Altitude	~18 km	Up to 30–35 km
Radar Type	Rajendra Radar (PEMSA)	91N6E Big Bird, 92N6 Grave Stone, others (AESA)
Number of Missiles Supported	Typically 3–4 per launcher	Up to 72 per battalion (multiple missile types)
Missile Speed	Mach 2.5	Up to Mach 14 (hypersonic)
Mobility	High (tracked and wheeled variants)	Mobile (strategic and tactical deployment possible)
Missile Cost (Estimate)	₹2.5–3.5 crore (~$300K–400K)	$1–2 million per missile
System Cost (Battery/Unit)	₹1,000 crore ($120 million) per regiment	~$800 million per unit (India bought 5 for $5B)
Production	Indigenous (DRDO + BDL)	Russian (Almaz-Antey)
Cost-to-Drone Kill Ratio	High (inefficient vs low-cost threats)	Very high (1 missile = 1000+ drones in cost)
Best Use Case	Protecting airfields, convoys, static assets	National-level airspace denial and strategic cover