IAF-Army air defence network upgrade validated along Pakistan front

New Delhi, June 8. India has upgraded its integrated air defence network linking the Indian Air Force’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) with the Army’s Akashteer platform, significantly enhancing the military’s ability to detect and engage threats more rapidly. The upgraded system was validated on June 6 during a major joint exercise along the western front facing Pakistan.

The enhanced network, which proved crucial during Operation Sindoor in May last year, is designed to further reduce the military’s “sensor-to-shooter” timeline – the interval between detecting a target and launching a strike against it.

Citing sources, The Tribune reported that the IAF’s IACCS and the Army’s Akashteer system, which integrates seamlessly with it, have undergone upgrades aimed at improving operational efficiency and accelerating decision-making during combat situations. As part of the validation process, logistics deployment drills were also conducted at a mountainous airfield in northern India.

The IACCS creates a unified air picture by integrating data from multiple surveillance platforms and data links, enabling simultaneous tracking of numerous aerial threats. Drawing real-time information from long-range drones, radars and other sensors, the system provides commanders with a comprehensive battlefield view and automatically directs tracking information to the most suitable weapon platform. These include S-400 air defence systems, Akash missile batteries, fighter aircraft and the Army’s close-range air defence guns. Officials said the latest upgrade further shortens already rapid response times.

The validation formed part of “Exercise Josh 2-26”, involving the IAF’s Western Air Command and the Army’s Northern, Western and South Western Commands, all of which are responsible for operations along the western sector.

Sources said the exercise featured the deployment of mobile radar units and activation of electronic warfare assets under realistic training conditions. Integrated command nodes involving the Air Force, Army and civil administration were also activated to enhance coordination.

“Mission profiles were rehearsed for rapid launches under compressed timelines, while maintenance and logistics support for aircraft and weapon systems were tested for sustained high-tempo operations,” a source was quoted as saying.

Officials added that coordination with civilian radar networks continued throughout the exercise to ensure that commercial air traffic remained unaffected.

Highlighting the significance of the exercise, the IAF’s Western Air Command said the IACCS played a key role in reducing sensor-to-shooter timelines and demonstrated its robust data-linking capabilities. It added that Akashteer integrated seamlessly with the network, enabling sustained joint operations at a high operational tempo.

The command said a key objective of the exercise was to replicate a near-realistic combat environment through an integrated operational framework, with a strong emphasis on the use of advanced technologies and network-centric warfare capabilities.