Did Modi inadvertently confirm Pakistan’s S-400 claim?
India’s Prime Minister Modi posed in front of an S-400 missile launcher during a visit to the Adampur airbase on Tuesday, a move Indian media framed as a “fact-check” of Pakistan’s claim that it had neutralised two of the advanced systems during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos. But the photo-op may have inadvertently lent weight to Pakistan’s assertion — precisely because of what was missing in the image.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), US-based South Asia expert Christopher Clary noted that while there is still no concrete evidence of Pakistani success against the S-400, Pakistan would be “at least as likely if not more likely to target the command centre or the radar than they are the launcher” of the air defence system.
I don't think there's any real evidence of Pakistani success against the S-400 but on the other hand presumably Pakistan is at least as likely if not more likely to target the command center or the radar than they are the launcher. Perhaps those systems are in other photos. https://t.co/1yrBmjcQLY
In a subsequent post, he shared photos of an S-400 command and control centre destroyed in the Ukraine war, alongside two radar vehicles commonly paired with the system.
For people with more time than I have today, here is a 2023 photo of a reported S-400 command and control center destroyed in the Ukraine war and here is a photo of two different styles of radar vehicles previously associated with the S-400. pic.twitter.com/XLUk9lXpwv
At the May 11 tri-service news briefing, Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmad revealed that the Pakistan Air Force had been tracking the S-400 air defence system via satellite imagery “well before the hostilities.” Explaining that attacking the S-400 system was the “easier part” as compared to “identifying it on the ground”, he presented satellite images that showed the PAF had “pinpointed” the system’s “cheeseboard radar.”
Here listen to AVM Aurangzeb at 00:22 - 0:27 here. He makes it clear that PAF smashed the radar components of the S-400 only (“cheeseboard radar and other radar component”). He never claimed to hit the launcher that @narendramodi posed pics with. Complete Indian Psyop 😂 https://t.co/9rzMfipWth
Shortly after The Express Tribune published its story online, NDTV’s Shiv Aroor — who has frequently shared claims from Indian defence sources — posted a photo on X showing him with an S-400 radar unit housed inside a structure.
However, Aroor shared the same photograph on July 11, 2019 with the post: “With a brand new S-400 Triumf launcher vehicle for the Russian military at the Almaz-Antey facility near St. Petersburg — this is the same facility that will produce 5 systems for India starting next year. Spent the day here today. Detailed report on @Livefist tomorrow.”
With a brand new S-400 Triumf launcher vehicle for the Russian military at the Almaz-Antey facility near St. Petersburg — this is the same facility that will produce 5 systems for India starting next year. Spent the day here today. Detailed report on @Livefist tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/XUSPjRelGU
The S-400 Triumph, known by NATO as the SA-21 Growler, is a long-range, surface-to-air missile system developed by Russia’s Almaz-Antey. According to a TRT World Research Centre explainer, the system is designed to detect and destroy aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. A 2021 research paper titled “India’s Acquisition of the S-400 Air Defence System”, published in the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, states that each S-400 system includes two batteries. Each battery comprises a command-and-control unit, one surveillance radar, one engagement radar, and four launch trucks referred to as “transporter–erector–launchers.”
According to TRT World, a full battalion consists of eight launchers, each capable of carrying four missiles. The S-400 has a range of 250 to 400 kilometres, depending on the missile type, and can target objects at altitudes of up to 30 kilometres.
The system primarily uses the 48N6 missile series, which can intercept aerial targets up to 250 kilometres away and ballistic missiles within a 60-kilometer radius. These missiles are equipped with 143 kg high-explosive warheads. The S-400 is also compatible with the 40N6 missile, a long-range air defence missile with a 400-kilometer reach. A third missile series, the 77N6, is still under development and features “hit-to-kill” technology designed specifically to destroy ballistic missile warheads.
On Saturday, Pakistan released footage of a JF-17 Block III multirole fighter armed with two CM-400AKG missiles — long rumoured to be in the country's arsenal but never publicly confirmed until now.
In a statement issued the same day, the Pakistani military claimed it had successfully destroyed an Indian S-400 battery stationed at Adampur Air Force Station in Punjab’s Jalandhar district using precision-guided hypersonic missiles launched from a JF-17 platform.
The CM-400AKG is promoted as a hypersonic anti-ship missile. According to defence analysis website Quwa, when it was introduced as a weapon option for the JF-17, the missile was positioned as a counterpart to India’s BrahMos missile, based on its reported top speed of over Mach 4.
While the two missiles may appear similar in role — anti-ship warfare — and speed, the CM-400AKG is based on a different design philosophy. Unlike the terrain-hugging or sea-skimming profile common to other anti-ship and cruise missiles, the CM-400AKG is designed for high-altitude launch, which its manufacturer claims enhances aircraft survivability. According to IHS Jane’s, the missile ascends to a high altitude and then dives at high speed onto its target.
The CM-400AKG uses a combined inertial and satellite navigation guidance system. In its terminal phase, it can be equipped with a passive radar seeker, allowing it to target high-value assets on land and at sea. This passive radar homing capability potentially enables it to detect and strike radar components of the S-400 system, thereby suppressing or neutralising the air defence network.
As Quwa notes, the missile appears to follow a quasi-ballistic flight path, suggesting design elements similar to short-range ballistic missiles. According to reports, the Pakistan Air Force practiced targeting S-400 systems with the JF-17/CM-400AKG combination during the 2023 Indus Shield exercises.