"BrahMos primary offensive weapon; Akashteer, MRSAM used for defence": DRDO chairman on tech used for Operation Sindoor

Time of India

2 days ago

DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat highlighted the pivotal role of BrahMos missiles and Akashteer defence systems in Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. BrahMos, deployed from Sukhoi Mk 1, served as the primary offensive weapon, while the indigenous Akashteer system provided crucial anti-drone defence and threat identification, showcasing India's growing defence capabilities.
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Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman, Samir V Kamat, emphasised on Saturday that India's BrahMos missiles and the Akashteer defence systems were instrumental technologies that played a key role in Operation Sindoor , carried out in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.According to the DRDO chairman, the BrahMos missile , primarily launched from Sukhoi Mk 1, was used during the offensive phase. Meanwhile, the anti-drone Akashteer was the mainstay for defensive weapon systems."When it comes to offensive weapons, BrahMos was the primary weapon used, which was launched from our Sukhoi Mark 1 platform. When it comes to defensive weapon systems, the Akashteer system, the anti-drone system and the MRSAM were used," the DRDO chairman said during a press interaction in Maharashtra's Pune.Kamat further mentioned how the Akashteer network helped in identifying any threats coming towards India, and also in deciding what kind of weapon could be used to neutralise such threats."All the sensors were networked using the Akashteer, which helped in identifying the threats coming towards us and then deploying the right kind of weapon to neutralise those threats. Advanced early warning and control aircraft were also used for advanced surveillance. This is broadly what I can say without getting into too much," the DRDO Chairman said.Earlier, expressing pride over the growing strength of India's defence research and development sector, Kamat mentioned, "It's indeed a proud moment for all of us. It's a reflection of the strength of our R&D and production in the defence domain. I'm sure going ahead, this number will keep increasing."Earlier, it was reported that the annual defence production has achieved a record high of Rs 1,50,590 crore for the Financial Year (FY) 2024-25. The milestone represents a robust 18 per cent growth over the previous fiscal's output of Rs 1.27 lakh crore, and a staggering 90 per cent increase since FY 2019-20, when the figure was Rs 79,071 crore.Speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony, Kamat credited the success of the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives to the PM Modi-led government.Akashteer, India's fully indigenous, automated Air Defence Control and Reporting System, which intercepted and neutralised every inbound projectile amid India-Pakistan hostilities, is no longer a concept confined to defence journals, but a sharp edge of India's air defence.The BrahMos missile system has solidified India's position in defence diplomacy: Cruise Missile Triad that enables precision attacks against land and sea targets; Deterrent Capability, which strengthens India's defence posture with its supersonic speed and range and Indo-Russian Collaboration showcasing successful bilateral cooperation in defence technology Indian Armed Forces carried out Operation Sindoor on May 7 to avenge the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 people.