India tightens shield, tests crucial air defence system

INdia has successfully tried a young structured broadcast defence scheme consisting of a variety of weapons that shot down three targets at different altitudes and ranges off the coast of Odisha, the defence ministry said on Sunday.The development comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the creation of a formidable military capability to defend India’s military and civilian installations against aerial attacks and set a 10-year deadline for developing an indigenous air defence shield integrated with offensive weapons under Mission Sudarshan Chakra.The maiden test of the integrated air defence weapon system (IADWS), which is expected to be a part of the bigger national security shield announced by the PM, was conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Saturday.The IADWS is a multi-layered air defence system consisting of quick reaction surface-to-air missiles (QRSAM), very short range air defence system (VSHORADS) and a laser-based directed energy weapon.“During the flight-tests, three different targets including two high-speed fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle targets and a multi-copter drone were simultaneously engaged and destroyed completely by the QRSAM, VSHORADS and the high-energy laser weapon system at different ranges and altitudes,” the defence ministry said.The weapon system components, including the missile systems, drone detection and destruction system, and command and control systems along with communication and radars performed flawlessly as confirmed by range instruments deployed by the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur to capture the flight data, it added in a statement.In April, India tested a locally produced laser weapon and demonstrated its capability to knock out fixed wing drones at long range, swarm drones, and surveillance equipment, entering an exclusive league of countries that possess such technology. The few countries that have mastered this technology to disable missiles, drones and smaller projectiles include the US, Russia, China, the UK, Germany and Israel.The integrated operation of the weapon system components in IADWS is controlled by a centralised command and control centre developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad.“This unique flight test has established the multi-layered air-defence capability of our country and is going to strengthen area defence for important facilities against enemy aerial threats,” defence minister Rajnath Singh said.Modi announced the launch of Mission Sudarshan Chakra in his Independence Day speech.It will be a powerful weapon system that will not only neutralise the enemy’s attack but also hit back with overwhelming force, he said at the time.“In the next 10 years, by 2035, I want to expand, strengthen and modernise this national security shield. Drawing inspiration from Lord Shri Krishna, we have chosen the path of Sudarshan Chakra,” Modi said, recounting the role of the weapon in Hindu epic Mahabharata.A locally developed air defence control and reporting system, called Akashteer, emerged as the centrepiece of India’s air defence grid during Operation Sindoor --- New Delhi’s direct military action against Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were killed.India launched the operation in the early hours of May 7 and struck terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Between the launch of the operation and the ceasefire on May 10 evening, Indian forces bombed nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, killing at least 100 terrorists, and struck targets at 13 Pakistani airbases and military installations.Akashteer punctured multiple waves of Pakistani aerial attacks by guaranteeing prompt detection and targeting of the incoming threats.The agile system, an integral part of the Indian military’s multi-layered air defence grid, played a vital role in detecting, identifying, tracking and engaging Pakistani missiles and drones during the four-day clash that stoked fears of a full-blown shooting war. It was mated with the Indian Air Force’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), the beating heart of the military’s resilient, four-tiered air defence shield.