IAF's S400 air-defence missile unit sends 'message' to Pakistan via shoulder patch

The Indian Air Forces’ S400 air-defence missile unit has sent a not-so-subtle message to Pakistan reminding of the 300 km strike on surveillance plane during operation Sindoor in May last year.

One of the S400 unit’s has made a shoulder patch — depicting how the radars of the missile system could see the planes inside Pakistan. The patch depicts a S400 launcher saying ‘the longshot’, and is seen targeting a surveillance plane of Pakistan air force. It has the image of a woman trying to her hide modesty, using a drape that looks like the Pakistani flag with the words ‘Pee ka boo I see you’.

Sources explained, the patch is not an official IAF issue, however, such patches are ordered by young officers at the unit, on their own. These ‘unofficial patches’ can be worn on the upper arm near the shoulder within the unit and that has been the practice for decades. These are not allowed on official events, or in operations, the sources explained.

In February this year, the IAF put out a video showing the S400 firing away and a missile was shown, what the IAF called the "longest-ever air kill" in military history, striking a high-value aircraft at a range exceeding 300 km.

In August last year, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh first revealed that India had shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and a surveillance plane in the air, during the skirmish with Pakistan.

The IAF Chief had said, "We have at least five fighters confirmed as kills and one large aircraft, which could be either an ELINT aircraft or an AEW &C aircraft (military names for surveillance planes), which was taken down at a distance of about 300 kilometres.”

This was actually the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill that we can talk about, said the IAF Chief had said.

The IAF had ordered five squadrons of the S400 under a $5.4 billion contract in 2018 under. Three of these Squadrons have been inducted and deployed. The fourth one arrived at port in India last week.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the apex decision making body at the Ministry of Defence, at its meeting in March this year okayed the procurement of five more S-400 systems. The five additional S400 systems are expected to cost of $6.1 billion.

The S-400 is designed to knock down flying targets, including those equipped with certain stealth technologies, at a distance of about 400 km. The system is also capable of taking out ballistic missiles and hypersonic targets. Compared to its predecessor — the S-300 — the S-400 has a firing rate that is 2.5 times faster.

The S-400 system will counter enemy long-range air vectors targeting vital areas while the UCAV’s will enable undertaking offensive counter and coordinated air operations, also providing stealth intelligence and surveillance.

The IAF had also announced on May 11 last year that it hit 11 Pak air bases.