IAF S-400 Firing: The Indian Air Force has shared a video for the first time showing its powerful S-400 air defence missile system firing in the sky. This video came out on Thursday and quickly caught attention. Many people believe it was linked to Operation Sindoor, which happened last year in May during tensions with Pakistan.
In the video, a missile can be seen flying fast after a radar spots an enemy aircraft. The clip also shows a radar screen tracking a jet that is coming closer. Then the air defence system gets activated and launches the missile. In the video, a line appears saying the missile made the “longest ever air kill recorded in military history”. The IAF also wrote, “Enemy may be out of reach, but is never out of sight,” to show confidence in its defence power.
Even though the video looks dramatic, officials said the footage is not from Operation Sindoor. It is actually promotional material for the upcoming Vayu Shakti exercise. This big military drill will take place on February 27 in Rajasthan.
What Happened During Operation Sindoor?
Indian Air Force: Infallible, Impervious and Precise
1 day to go.
The Indian Air Force has successfully validated all operational parameters during the Full Dress Rehearsal for #Vayushakti26 at Pokhran, all targets effectively neutralised.
All Air Warriors now stand fully… pic.twitter.com/j7ZWmOYYb1
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) February 26, 2026
Operation Sindoor took place in May last year when tensions between India and Pakistan were very high. During this time, the S-400 system played a very important role. It reportedly shot down a Pakistan Air Force aircraft from almost 300 km away. The aircraft was deep inside Pakistani airspace when it was hit.
In October last year, IAF Chief AP Singh spoke about the operation. He said the Indian Air Force had destroyed or badly damaged at least twelve Pakistani aircraft. He explained the long distance strike by saying, “We have clear evidence of a long-range hit almost 300 km away. It happened to be a PAF signal intelligence plane along with that five hi-tech fighters between the F-16 and the J-17 (Chinese) class, is what our system tells us.”
Referring to the system, he had said: “The long-range SAMs (surface-to-air missiles) that we have procured recently and operationalised, that again turned the tables on them. We could look deep inside their territory.
“We could make sure that they were not able to operate even within their territory to a certain distance.”
S-400
The S-400 is a very advanced air defence missile system made in Russia. India signed a deal with Russia a few years ago to buy this system. It is officially called the S-400 Triumf. It is designed to detect, track and destroy enemy aircraft, drones, and even some types of missiles. It can hit targets at very long distances, up to around 400 km depending on the missile used.
India started receiving the S-400 units recently and quickly made them operational. The system includes powerful radar units, command centers, and different types of long-range surface-to-air missiles. These missiles can lock on to enemy aircraft flying very far away and destroy them before they even reach Indian airspace.
Talking about the system earlier, Air Chief AP Singh had said, “The long-range SAMs (surface-to-air missiles) that we have procured recently and operationalised, which again turned the tables on them. We could look deep inside their territory. We could make sure that they were not able to operate even within their territory to a certain distance.”
