India to postpone S-400 purchase

An anonymous official with the Indian Ministry of Defense said New Delhi will likely postpone the purchase of the S-400 air defense system due to a lack of funds.

ЗРК С-400 Триумф (SA-21) на репетиции 4 мая 2010
By ru:Участник:Goodvint (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The disclosure contradicts what Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar said to parliament on May 10. Parrikar told lawmakers that approval was given in Dec. 17, 2015 to buy the S-400.

The same official said the ministry has given priority to buy 36 Rafales, very short range air defense (VSHORAD) man-portable systems and short-range surface-to-air missile (SRSAM) systems. This is no money left for the S-400 and it will likely be two-years later that a deal will be signed.