Akashteer: India's invisible shield that beat Pak's imported missiles and drones

India Today

16-05-2025

As Pakistan launched its deadliest attack on several Indian military installations and civilian areas on the nights of May 9 and 10, Akashteer, India's advanced air defence system, emerged as an invisible shield, intercepting and neutralising a barrage of missiles and drones.Akashteer is India's fully indigenous and automated air defence control and reporting system. It showcased India's dominance in real-time and automated air defence warfare during the four-day military confrontation with Pakistan.advertisementPakistan relied on imported HQ-9 and HQ-16 systems that could not avoid Akashteer, which did not roar like a fighter jet or flash like a missile. It just listened, calculated and struck.Akashteer provides a common and real-time air picture to all involved parties (control room, radars and defence gun), enabling coordinated air defence operations. It is a system designed to automate detection, tracking and engagement of enemy aircraft, drones and missiles.It integrates various radar systems, sensors and communication technologies into a single operational framework.Akashteer gathers data from multiple sources, processes it and allows for automated and real-time engagement decisions. It is part of the broader C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) framework, working in coordination with other systems. The system is vehicle-based, which makes it mobile and easier to handle in a hostile environment.advertisementUnlike traditional air defence models that rely on ground-based radars and manual decisions, Akashteer enables autonomous monitoring of low-level airspace in battle zones and efficient control of ground-based air defence weapon systems.The integration of multiple elements reduces the possibility of friendly fire, allowing rapid engagement of hostile targets while ensuring the protection of aircraft in contested airspace. The sensors integrated include the tactical control radar REPORTER, 3D tactical control radars, low-level lightweight radar and the Akash weapon system radar.Akashteer connects smoothly with IACCS (Indian Air Force) and TRIGUN (Indian Navy), creating a clear and real-time picture of the battlefield. This enables the quick and effective use of both offensive and defensive weapons.Through Akashteer, there is a much lower risk of accidentally hitting friendly targets. It improves situational awareness and allows for precise, powerful action.Experts across the world are calling Akashteer a "seismic shift in warfare strategy". With this system, India has entered the elite club of nations with fully integrated, automated air defence command and control capability. It doesn't just see faster - it decides faster, and it strikes faster than anything fielded globally.Akashteer is India's answer to asymmetric warfare, hybrid threats and cross-border terrorism. Its successful use in neutralising Pakistan's offensive during Operation Sindoor stands as proof that India's future lies not in imported platforms, but in its own innovation.Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 when the Indian armed forces struck nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK). The operation was launched in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists.Tune InMust Watch
IN THIS STORY#India-Pakistan#Operation Sindoor#Pakistan#Jammu and Kashmir