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Beyond S-400: Operation Sindoor shows the new era of air defence as India batters Pakistan
The medium-range Akash air defence system is in service with the Indian Army and Air Force. (Photo: BEL)
The Operation Sindoor has proved to be bigger and bolder than the punitive military strikes that India carried out in 2016 and 2019 in territories under Pakistan's control. In each case, the trigger was a dastardly terror attack — in Uri and Pulwama earlier and in Pahalgam the last month — that stemmed from the so-called policy of 'bleeding India by a thousand cuts', institutionalised by the Pakistani military bosses through a maze of terror outfits created, cultivated and cultured over decades.
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Pakistan launched an attack on India after the post-Pulwama pre-emptive strike by India in Pakistani province Khyber Pakhtunkhaw's Balakot. The dogfight tested the aerial combat readiness of the two forces in quick time, in which Indian forces reportedly shot down, not acknowledged by Pakistan, a fighter jet, and in the process lost a Mig aircraft, whose pilot Abhinandan Varthaman ejected safely but landed on the other side of the Line of Control (LoC). Pakistan projects his landing and subsequent custody by its military as a badge of honour. His release was seen as a major victory of India's muscular diplomacy.
In between a lot of changes happened in Jammu and Kashmir, and a sense of positivity soared in the Valley. When development and economic goals looked to get mainstreamed, a bunch of terrorists — owned by a group backed by Pakistan — killed 26 people, including one local person. The rest were tourists, who were picked for the bullet on the basis of their religious identity and their ability to recite an Islamic prayer.
With anguish diffusing through the air, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to bring the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack and their patrons, read Pakistan Army-established network, to justice. He said, 'India will identify, trace and punish every terrorist and their backers' in ways they would never have imagined.
Pakistan immediately denied its role, though no official charge had been made. When the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) discussed the matter to condemn the terror attack not only for terrorism but also for choosing targets by identifying their religiosity, Pakistan ensured the name of the organisation which had claimed responsibility for the attack was dropped from the UNSC statement. As it happened, the said group retracted its statement and disowned the attack it had taken pride in having carried out.
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Two weeks after the terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor. It is now talk of the world's defence-military town. India has been guarded in sharing information except showing evidence of having inflicted severe damage on Pakistan's terror hubs on the first night of operation, May 7-8, and hitting Pakistan's military targets in retaliation to attacks that were launched from the other side. Among the sites having suffered heavy damages in India's Operation Sindoor were at least six Pakistani military bases including one in Rawalpindi and a number of air defence systems including one in Lahore.
The Indian government has not confirmed reports about missiles intercepted, including one in Haryana's Sirsa that was apparently fired by Pakistan to target Delhi, or about shooting down Pakistani jets. What India did confirm was the Pakistan used Turkey-made drones, a point New Delhi is likely to stress going forward at international forums discussing fighting terrorism.
There have been reports and expert opinions flowing thick and fast that India may look to explore the defence and weapons technology of the projectiles that Pakistan fired at the country. All projectiles had foreign technology, whether Turkish or Chinese. A treasure trove for those interested in reverse engineering.
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But a big talking point of the three-four days of military engagement is India's air defence systems. While India easily breached Pakistani air defence systems and penetrated deep into the heart of its haughty military heart, its own air defence systems shot down most drones, missiles, including high-speed ones, and reportedly fighter aircraft too.
The story is how India's multi-layered defence thwarted Pakistan's aerial onslaught.
The night of precision
On the night of May 8-9, Pakistan launched 15 coordinated strikes across northern and western India, deploying drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. India's air defence architecture sprang into action.
Rather than relying on a single system, India deployed a deeply integrated, four-layered shield-combining Russian S-400s, Israeli Barak-8s, indigenous Akash and QRSAM missiles, and a suite of anti-aircraft guns and electronic warfare tools.
India's Akashteer Air Defence System-a fully indigenous command network-integrated data from 3D radars, mobile sensors, and satellite feeds to orchestrate a flawless interception. Over two dozen drones, eight missiles, and possibly three Pakistani jets were neutralised, with no reported damage on Indian soil.
Let's dig deeper into the anatomy of India's air defence shield:
Outer layer: S-400 'Sudarshan Chakra'
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400 km range: Engages stealth aircraft, ballistic missiles (up to 4.8 km/s speed), and hypersonic threats at altitudes up to 30 km.
Multi-target mastery: Tracks 300 objects simultaneously, engaging 36 threats at once with four missile types (long-range 40N6, medium-range 48N6).
Mobility: Deploys within five minutes, enabling rapid repositioning along volatile borders.
Proven efficacy: Achieved 80 per cent interception rates in recent exercises, with three squadrons operational and two more arriving by 2026.
Mid-layer: Barak-8 and Akash
Barak-8: Co-developed with Israel, this 100–150 km range system uses Derby missiles for naval (LRSAM) and land (MRSAM) defence. Its modular Barak MX variant adapts to evolving threats.
Akash: Indigenous, mobile, and export-ready (₹6,000-crore Armenia deal). Covers 4.5–25 km with 60 kg warheads, neutralising multiple targets via phased-array radar.
Inner layer: SPYDER, QRSAM, and Legacy systems
SPYDER: Israeli system firing Python-5 (20 km) and Derby (50 km) missiles for rapid response against low-altitude threats.
QRSAM: Indigenous Mach 4.7 missiles (30 km range) on mobile launchers, designed for short-range, high-speed engagements.
Legacy integration: Soviet-era Pechora SAMs (25 km) and OSA-AK-M (10 km), upgraded with electro-optical guidance, complemented by Zu-23 guns and Shilka platforms.
Very Short Range: VSHORAD and MANPADS
VSHORAD: Shoulder-fired missiles (6 km range) for last-ditch defence against drones.
SAMAR: Repurposed Russian Vympel missiles (12 km) for cost-effective drone swarms.
The next question is Why India's air defence model works
Interoperability over isolation
Akashteer's neural network: Merged IAF and Army radar data into a single battlefield picture, enabling real-time prioritisation-e.g., S-400s tackled ballistic threats while Akash handled drones.
Hybrid tactics: Combined kinetic strikes (missiles, guns) with electronic warfare (jamming, spoofing) to disrupt Pakistani guidance systems.
Cost-effective layering
Legacy modernisation: Upgraded 1960s Pechora systems with digital fire control, extending their service life.
Export potential: Akash's Armenia deal and Akash-NG's development (70 km range) position India as a rising defence exporter.
What it means for defence players
Pakistan's limitations: Relies on Chinese HQ-9/P and LY-80 systems, which lack integration with legacy platforms, creating gaps that India exploited.
Ukraine parallels: Mirroring Kyiv's fusion of Soviet-era SAMs with Western tech, India's approach validates layered defence as the global standard against drone swarms and hypersonics.
There is more
India's upcoming Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) Programme, featuring Prithvi and Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptors, aims to counter ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile) threats, something experts point to China as posing towards its southern neighbour. Coupled with plans to export Akash and Akash-NG, India looks poised to redefine modern aerial security-proving that resilience lies not in isolated marvels, but in orchestrated layers.
India's approach is now a global case study, buttressing the point that modern air defence is not about buying the latest missile, but about integrating diverse technologies into a responsive, layered shield. As threats evolve-from drones to hypersonic missiles-India's model demonstrates that real security comes from interoperability, agility, and constant innovation.
India showed that its strength lay not in the mere possession of advanced systems, but in their seamless integration. The Akashteer command network-dubbed, 'India's Iron Dome', fused radar data from the Air Force and Army, enabling real-time tracking and coordinated interception of every incoming threat. This synergy allowed Indian forces to neutralise over two dozen drones and multiple missiles, with no reported damage to Indian soil.
These lessons are not limited to India or South Asia. They are applicable globally, especially as air threats diversify with drones, cruise missiles, and hypersonic weapons.
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