The second squadron of S-400 Triumf Indian Air Force (IAF) air defense systems will become operational along the northern border within the next 2-3 months, The Times of India reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.
According to the outlet, Chinese air defenses, including the latest S-400 systems procured from Russia, have been activated near the Indian border, with combat jets allegedly conducting "sorties" regularly now.
India received its first squadron of S-400 air missile defense systems under a $5.43 billion deal from Russia last December. In April this year, Russia also delivered a simulator and other equipment for training the IAF S-400 air defense missile squadron.
India plans to deploy two regiments of S-400 systems along its northern borders, while the two others will protect the country's strategic assets in yet-to-be-revealed cities.
Meanwhile, the 16th round of Corps Commanders level talks on July 17 ended in a stalemate, with the two sides promising to maintain the status quo in contested areas of the Ladakh sector. The two sides accused each other of violating 1993 and 2005 border agreements by transgressing on each others' territory.
The Chinese military recently released footage showing large-scale military exercises in the Tibet region opposite the Ladakh sector. Delhi and Beijing have deployed over 50,000 troops and advanced weaponry in the western sector of the LAC, which has remained there for the last two years.
Bejing also plans to build a new highway, which will be closer to the loosely-demarcated Line of Actual Control than the existing highway connecting Tibet with Xinjiang.
The Indian Foreign Ministry on 21 July assured the country that it maintains a "constant watch on all developments having a bearing on India's security and takes all necessary measures to safeguard the same".
China's People's Liberation Army and the Indian Army have been embroiled in a border standoff since June 2020 that erupted over the building of infrastructure in the Ladakh region. In a violent clash, 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops were killed, the first casualty at the border since 1975.