S-400 vs Shaheen-3: How India’s missile shield stacks up against Pakistan’s missile system

Air defence units of the Pakistan army in Sialkot and Lahore suffered heavy damage amid reports of drone attacks in 10 cities across the country on May 8, sources said. The incident comes a day after India struck terror camps in Pakistan, in an operation named ‘Sindoor’, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives. 

The S-400 Sudarshan Chakra air defence missile systems of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were fired last night against Pakistani targets moving towards India last night. The targets were successfully neutralised in the operation.  

On the intervening night of May 7-8, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets using drones and missiles in northern and western India including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai and Bhuj.  

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India decided to carry out the “proportionate” strikes to bring the perpetrators and planners of the Pahalgam attack to justice as there was “no demonstrable step” from Pakistan to act against terrorist infrastructure on territories under its control.  

Here’s a look at the long-range defense systems of the two sparring nations. 

S-400 defence system 

The S-400 missile system is considered the most powerful weapon in the Indian Air Force fleet. Its air defence system is capable of thwarting any possible air attack in India. 

The S-400 missile system has been deployed, especially keeping China and Pakistan in mind. Its range is between 40 to 400 km. An agreement for this S-400 missile technology was signed between India and Russia during Russian President Putin’s visit to India in October 2018. At present, this missile technology is considered to be the most powerful defense system in the world. 

The S-400 air defence system can track aerial threats up to 600 km away and intercept fighter jets, ballistic missiles, and drones, making it a vital cog in India's security arsenal. Three regiments were delivered and are in operation. The remaining two are expected by August 2026. 

Shaheen-III missile 

The Shaheen-III is a land-based medium range ballistic missile, which was test fired for the first time by military service on March 9, 2015. Development began in secrecy in the early 2000s in response to India’s Agni-III, Shaheen was successfully tested on 9 March 2015 with a range of 2,750 km, which enables it to strike all of India. 

The Shaheen-III, according to its program manager, is designed to reach the Andaman and Nicobar so that India cannot use them as “strategic bases” to establish a second strike capability.