Akashteer shifts battlefield balance: India's indigenous air defence system proves decisive in Operation Sindoor

Time of India

23-05-2025

India's indigenous air defence system, Akashteer, played a decisive role during
Operation Sindoor
by intercepting every drone and missile launched in a large-scale aerial attack by Pakistan. The
Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) confirmed the system's performance prevented any damage to military or civilian targets.
This marks a critical evolution in India's air defence capabilities, moving from static and reactive models to real-time, mobile, and networked warfare.
Night of the interception
The operation unfolded during the night of 9–10 May. As Pakistan launched its heaviest aerial offensive in recent years, Akashteer responded swiftly.
'During the night of May 9th and 10th, as hostile drones and missiles targeted Indian military and civilian installations, Akashteer intercepted and destroyed every incoming threat, preventing any damage and marking a new era in India's strategic warfare,' said the Press Information Bureau.
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Akashteer: Automated, agile, always on
Developed under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, Akashteer is fully automated and mobile. It consolidates radar systems, sensors, and communication units into a single vehicle-based control framework. The result: fast deployment, rapid targeting, and minimal human intervention in high-threat environments.
The system links Tactical Control Radars, Low-Level Lightweight Radars, and Akash Weapon System radars. All this data is processed instantly to form a real-time airspace picture. This information is then shared across the
Indian Army
, Navy, and Air Force.
'By the time the enemy knew they were being watched, they were already being targeted,' said defence sources.
An invisible shield
Akashteer is not about firepower — it's about foresight. It can autonomously track and engage targets at low altitudes, from drones to cruise missiles, with no friendly fire incidents. It connects seamlessly with the Indian Air Force's Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) and the Indian Navy's TRIGUN network, forming a cohesive tri-service defence grid.
The system's success lies in its proactive design. It detects, decides, and defends in one seamless loop, unlike Pakistan's HQ-9 and HQ-16 systems, which failed to detect India's retaliatory strikes during the same operation.
Tested in Operation Sindoor
Akashteer saw its first real combat use during Operation Sindoor — a joint Indian mission targeting nine terror launchpads across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
DRDO chief Samir V Kamat confirmed that the system's performance in the operation was 'exceedingly well' and likely to attract global attention.
'Definitely, our air defence system has performed exceedingly well, and I am sure there will be interest from other countries,' he told PTI on Thursday evening.
March towards self-reliance
Speaking during a visit to Nagpur — where he reviewed manufacturing of missiles, rockets, and drones — Kamat spoke of India's steady path to defence self-reliance.
'I think we have achieved a very significant level, but we still have some work to do. And I am sure in the coming years, we will become totally Atmanirbhar,' he said.
Akashteer joins an expanding list of Indian-built platforms, including the LCA Tejas fighter, Arjun Main Battle Tank, ALH Dhruv helicopter, Dhanush and ATAGS artillery systems, and multiple naval vessels.
Future Warfare: Mixing the old and new
Asked if drones and electronic warfare would overshadow conventional arms, Kamat said both will coexist.
'Future warfare will be a combination of the traditional equipment as well as these new things… We have to be prepared for both,' he said.
Kamat also dismissed speculation about robotic soldiers in the immediate future. 'There will be a day when that may happen but not in the near future,' he said.
India is also moving ahead with its
stealth fighter programme
. The
Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft
(AMCA), a fifth-plus generation fighter jet, is under development by the DRDO's Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
'Our project for developing AMCA started last year, and we are hopeful that it will be completed by 2034 and then it should go into induction by 2035,' Kamat said.
The full-scale model of the AMCA was unveiled during Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru. Key technologies under development include internal weapon bays, AI-assisted flying, net-centric warfare, and vehicle health monitoring systems.
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