INDIA’S IRON DOME

By R Anil Kumar

• During the ongoing Operation Sindoor, India’s air defence systems stood tall, neutralising almost all incoming threats — drones, missiles, and aircraft. At the heart of this triumph is India’s homegrown might, led by the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile and a layered air defence network.

• A look at how India’s integrated air defence system — through advanced surveillance and precision weapons — held firm when it was needed the most.

OPERATION SINDOOR. When Pakistani drones and missiles swarmed across the border, northern India found itself in the crosshairs of a retaliatory aerial assault following India’s pre-emptive strikes on terrorist infrastructure — a mission dubbed Operation Sindoor.

Pakistan’s strategy was clear: overwhelm India’s defences with dozens of UAVs and loitering munitions launched from multiple sectors, including Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab.

But India’s response was swift and decisive.

Most of these threats were neutralised before they could breach Indian airspace, a testament to a meticulously crafted air defence network. This wasn’t a fluke — it was the result of years of investment in a multi-layered, inter-service grid, coordinated by the Indian Air Force’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) and the Indian Army’s Akashteer.

Let’s dive into this formidable shield, layer by layer, and explore the systems — like the Akash, Spyder, and MR-SAM — that make it a regional powerhouse.

A Fortress in the Sky: How It All Comes Together

Picture:A 200-km-wide protective dome stretching from the International Border inward, a structure so intricate that it’s like a high-tech onion with layers of defence. That’s the image the Directorate General of Military Operations (DGMO) painted during a briefing after Operation Sindoor. The diagram they shared showed overlapping zones,each layer designed to tackle specific threats—from long-range missiles to low-flying drones.

At the heart of this system are two command-and-control giants: the IACCS, built by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), which links radar stations, missile batteries, and airbases across India, and Akashteer, the Army’s battlefield-level framework that integrates sensor data and weapon control across units.

Together, they create a real-time, unified air situation picture, ensuring the Army, Air Force, and Navy act as one.

Fourth Layer: The Long-Range Guardians

Starting from the outermost layer, the S-400 Triumf, known in India as the Sudarshan Chakra. India has three squadrons operational, with two more expected from Russia by 2026, according to the Indian Air Force Chief. This system is a beast—it can track and engage fighter jets, cruise missiles, and even ballistic missiles at ranges up to 60 km.

Each S-400 battery comes equipped with advanced radars like the 91N6E Big Bird for long-range detection and the 92N6E Grave Stone for fire control, capable of handling up to 80 targets simultaneously and firing 12 missiles at once.

During Operation Sindoor, the S-400 proved its worth, not just by intercepting Pakistani attacks but also ensuring the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) remained within its territory.

But India isn’t stopping there. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on an indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile (LR-SAM) under ‘Project Kusha’. Expected by 2028-29, this system will feature interceptors with ranges of 150 km, 250 km, and 350 km, aiming to rival the S-400.

Cleared in 2022 and granted Acceptance of Necessity in 2023 for five squadrons at Rs 21,700 crore, Project Kusha is a step toward self-reliance in long-range defence.

Third Layer: The Mid-Range Protectors

The third layer is formed by Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAMs), a joint effort between DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries.

With a range of about 70 km, these systems are operated by both the Army and the Air Force, making them a versatile shield against mid-altitude threats like cruise missiles, UAVs, and fighter jets.

The MRSAM is based on the Israeli Barak-8 but has been customised with Indian tech, including a two-pulse solid rocket motor for propulsion.

The system can engage targets at altitudes from 15 meters to 18 km and handle multiple threats simultaneously, thanks to its active radar seeker and networked integration with IACCS and Akashteer.

Second Layer: The Short-Range Defenders

The second layer is made up of the relatively short-range systems like the Israeli Spyder and India’s homegrown Akash. The Spyder system, with a range of 15–20 km, uses two types of missiles: the Python-5 and the Derby. The Python-5 is an infrared homing missile, known for its agility and ability to lock onto fast-moving targets like fighter jets, even in cluttered environments.

The Derby, on the other hand, is an active radar-guided missile, offering all-weather capability and a longer reach. Together, they make Spyder a quick-reaction system, perfect for tackling low-flying aircraft and drones that slip through the outer layers.

Then there’s the Akash, a DRDO-developed missile system with a range of 25–30 km. It uses a command guidance system for mid-course updates and proportional navigation for the final approach, making it deadly against supersonic targets.

The Akash family has evolved over the years, with variants like Akash-1 (25 km range), Akash-NG (up to 30 km with improved guidance), and Akash Prime (up to 35 km, optimised for low-altitude threats).Each Akash battery can engage four targets simultaneously, using its Rajendra radar for tracking and guidance. These systems are mobile, often mounted on wheeled or tracked vehicles, and have been deployed to protect strategic locations, proving their worth during Operation Sindoor by taking down Pakistani drones and low-flying threats.

First Layer: The Last Line of Defence

The innermost layer is the last line of defence, focusing on terminal protection with close-in weapon systems (CIWS) and man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS).

This layer is designed to handle threats that get within 10 km, ensuring nothing slips through.The Indian Army deploys a mix of systems here.

For mobile SAM operations, there’s the OSA-AK-M and Strela-10M, both Soviet-era systems with ranges under 10 km, capable of engaging low-flying targets.

For close-in defence, the Tunguska and Shilka systems combine guns and missiles—the Tunguska, for instance, has two 30mm cannons and eight missiles, while the Shilka uses four 23mm cannons with radar guidance, spitting out thousands of rounds per minute.

Older anti-aircraft guns like the L70 (240 rounds per minute) and ZU-23MM (2,000 rounds per minute) provide high-volume fire to shred incoming threats.

On the MANPADS front, India relies on the Igla-M and Igla-S, with ranges of 5 km and 6 km, respectively. The Igla-S, with its improved infrared seeker, was recently bolstered by a fresh batch procured from Russia in April 2025.

These shoulder-launched systems are ideal for infantry units, offering a quick way to take down helicopters or drones. DRDO is also working on a Very Short-Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) system, with a Request for Proposal issued in 2010, aiming to replace older MANPADS with a more advanced, indigenous solution.

The Navy adds its own firepower to this layer with the AK-630 CIWS, a six-barrelled 30mm Gatling gun that fires at a blistering 5,000 rounds per minute, shredding incoming threats like missiles or drones. The Navy also uses the Barak-1 missile for point defence, protecting its ships with a 10-km range and rapid reaction time.

The Eyes and Ears: Surveillance and Counter-Drone Tech

None of India’s sophisticated air defence network would function without a robust surveillance infrastructure. The backbone of this grid is a series of advanced radar systems that continuously monitor the skies, ensuring no aerial threat—whether large or small—goes unnoticed.

At the forefront of this surveillance is the Arudhra Radar, a homegrown system developed by DRDO that plays a pivotal role for the Indian Air Force.

With the capability to detect targets up to 300 km away, the Arudhra is capable of tracking everything from fast-moving fighter jets to slower, smaller targets like UAVs and drones.

The radar can even track objects with a radar cross-section as small as 2 square meters, making it an essential tool for the evolving threat of unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

It offers versatility with two operational modes: a full 360-degree rotation for comprehensive coverage or a more focused 120-degree arc for precision tracking. The radar covers a wide elevation range, scanning from as low as 100 meters to as high as 30 km, ensuring comprehensive airspace awareness.

However, the rise of drone warfare—highlighted by Pakistani UAV attacks—has underscored the need for counter-UAS capabilities. India has rapidly adapted, integrating counter-drone technologies into its air defence systems.

Radars like Aslesha and Bharani play critical roles in low-level and tactical surveillance. The Aslesha Radar, designed for mountainous and rugged terrains, offers a compact, mobile solution for detecting low-flying targets in areas like the Northeast and Kashmir. With a detection range of 50–70 km, it specializes in monitoring low-level threats such as UAVs and helicopters. Its AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) technology provides high-resolution tracking, making it effective in cluttered environments.

The Bharani Radar, on the other hand, is a lightweight system ideal for high-altitude regions, where it detects low-flying aircraft and UAVs. With a classified range (believed to be around 50 km), the Bharani is highly effective in areas with difficult topography, providing a mobile, flexible surveillance capability for air defence.

The DRDO-developed D4 anti-drone system is at the heart of this effort. Equipped with advanced radar, RF jammers, and laser-based kill mechanisms, the D4 system can disrupt and disable enemy UAVs mid-flight.

Complementing this, systems like Samyukta and Himshakti perform electronic warfare functions, effectively jamming drone GPS and communication links, often neutralizing threats before they can inflict damage.

(Inputs from DGMOs Press Briefing & Images Source: Ministry of Defence)