Islamabad: As part of its escalating military campaign named Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsus, Pakistan has reportedly succeeded in targeting and destroying one of India’s most advanced air defence installations—the Russian-made S-400 Triumf system—positioned at Adampur, in Jalandhar district of Indian Punjab.
According to security sources, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) used hypersonic missile technology launched from its JF-17 Thunder multirole fighters to carry out the high-precision strike.
The S-400 system, estimated at a cost of $1.5 billion, represents one of India’s most strategically significant military assets and was designed to shield the nation from a wide array of aerial threats.
What is the S-400 Air Defence System?
- India entered into a $5.43 billion agreement with Russia in October 2018 to acquire five squadrons of the S-400 Triumf air defence system, one of the most potent air defence systems in the world.
- The S-400 is a mobile, long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) platform that can detect incoming aerial threats—including fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles—at ranges of up to 600 kilometers, and neutralize them at distances of up to 400 kilometers.
- The system comprises three core elements: a multi-functional phased-array radar, missile launchers, and an integrated command and control center.
- Capable of tracking over 100 targets simultaneously, the S-400 can engage up to 36 of those targets at once, using 72 missiles in a layered defensive network.
- India began deploying the system in phases: the first squadron was stationed in Punjab (Pathankot area) in 2021, the second in Sikkim near the LAC in 2022, and a third in the Rajasthan-Gujarat sector in 2023. The final two squadrons are expected to be delivered by 2025–2026.
- The S-400 significantly bolstered India’s aerial defence umbrella and was reportedly used recently to intercept and neutralize Pakistani missile strikes, showcasing its defensive capabilities.
- NATO has consistently expressed concern over the S-400’s reach and effectiveness, viewing it as a strategic challenge within the South Asian theatre.
- Despite U.S. warnings under CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act), India moved ahead with the purchase, viewing the system as a vital buffer against threats from both Pakistan and China.
- Designed for high mobility, the S-400 system can be relocated rapidly via road at speeds of up to 60 km/h and made combat-ready within minutes of deployment.
- The purchase contract also included training programs and simulators for Indian military personnel.
Pakistan’s Broader Military Campaign
The destruction of the S-400 system is part of Pakistan’s broader retaliatory campaign under Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsus, launched in response to what Pakistan described as unprovoked missile attacks by India on three of its airbases.
According to Pakistani military sources, several Fatah-2 ballistic missiles were launched at critical Indian military sites. Among the most notable targets reportedly struck were:
- The BrahMos missile storage facility in Beas, which was described as having been completely neutralized.
- Airbases at Udhampur, Adampur, Suratgarh, and Pathankot, all of which were reportedly disabled in targeted strikes.
- An Indian artillery position in Dehrangyari was obliterated, alongside the BrahMos storage depot in Nagrota, located in the contested region of Jammu and Kashmir.
Security sources state that Pakistan’s military is methodically striking the exact locations from which missile attacks were previously launched against its territory.
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Reports from Indian media acknowledge that at least 26 sites across India have come under fire. One senior Indian administrative officer was reported to have been killed in Rajouri, as a result of the continuing bombardment.
In a startling development, Pakistani drones have reportedly been observed flying over Indian airspace, including New Delhi, with confirmed drone strikes in Ferozepur, located in Indian Punjab.
Regional and International Reaction
As these hostilities unfold, concerns about a full-scale war between India and Pakistan—both of whom possess nuclear weapons—have heightened significantly.
The United States, through Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has already reached out to Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir, offering mediation and assistance in initiating peace talks to prevent further escalation.
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Despite the high-stakes military confrontation, Pakistan maintains that its response is both defensive and targeted, aimed solely at degrading the Indian military infrastructure directly involved in initiating attacks on Pakistani soil.
