SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has announced plans to retire its fleet of S-125 Pechora (NATO reporting name: SA-3 Goa) surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems by 2030. The Pechora, which has served as a critical component of India’s air defence since the 1970s, will be replaced by the Akash NG and MRSAM systems as part of the IAF’s modernization efforts.
The S-125 Pechora was inducted into the IAF to safeguard airfields and critical infrastructure of the Ministry of Defence. Over time, a total of 30 Pechora units were deployed across the country. With 16 squadrons still in operation, the system has been a workhorse of India’s air defence network.
In 2016, the IAF upgraded these systems, extending their service life by 10 to 15 years. This upgrade included refurbishment, full digitization, and integration with the Integrated Area Command and Control System (IACCS), enabling the Pechora to operate in a networked environment. The enhancements also included an upgraded guidance radar, which improved the system’s tracking and engagement capabilities. However, despite these efforts, the system is largely considered outdated in the face of modern aerial threats.
The Pechora’s retirement aligns with the induction of newer systems such as the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM), developed jointly by India and Israel, and the Akash Next Generation (Akash NG), an advanced variant of the indigenous Akash SAM. These systems offer superior range, accuracy, and multi-target handling capabilities, making them more suitable for countering modern threats, including stealth aircraft, drones, and precision-guided munitions.
While the IAF works to induct MRSAM and Akash NG, an immediate extension of the Pechora’s service life is necessary to maintain air defence readiness. The Pechora’s ageing components and limited capabilities make this a stopgap measure until the replacement systems achieve full operational deployment.
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