India Multi-Tier Air Defence Vision under Mission Sudarshan Chakra

Another move that India has made is in consolidating its defence architecture as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted a test of an integrated air defence system as part of Mission Sudarshan Chakra. The mission, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is expected to create a multi-tiered air defence shield fully operational by 2035 that will deal with various aerial threats such as fighter jets to drones.

Major Results of New Tests.

• DRDO demonstrated the possibility of the system to intercept three targets at different altitudes and at different distances.
• The combination of Indian Air Force and Army air defence was also a part of tests, which represented joint operational capabilities.
• Illustrated the readiness of India in future stand off warfare in which drones and long range precision weapons will take center stage.

Mission Sudarshan Chakra: Vision and Goals.

• Goal: To establish the multi-layered defence umbrella by 2035.
• Coverage: Long-range systems, medium-range systems and short-range systems were all brought together under one command structure.
• Threats Discussed: Swarms of low cost drones, traditional fighter aircraft, cruise missiles, and UAVs.
• Strategy: Integrate old systems with new arms in order to make them cost-effective and resilient to operation.

Integration of Legacy and Modern systems.

The defence of India is based on a combination of the time-tested legacy systems and sophisticated platforms:

• Pechora, OSA-AK, L70 guns, Akashteer.
• Modern: S-400 Triumf, SPYDER.
• Recent Operations: Exercise Sindoor drew attention to the ability of legacy and modern systems to ensure joint layered air protection.

Adapting to Future Warfare

• Change in Threats: Drone, unmanned aerial systems, and long-range missiles.
• Response: MANPADS (Iglas) on short range threats and low flying drones.
• Tactic: Do not lean too far on a single system--construct a multi-layered armour of multi-layers.

Strategic Importance

• Provides protection against low-tech, high-volume swarms of drones and against high-end aerial platforms.
• Minimizes the vulnerability through the balancing of low-cost short-range defences against modern long-range interceptors.
• Enhances the capability of India to deal with two-fronts as it develops self-sufficiency in the defence technologies.

International Learning and Visibility.

• The Middle East wars have demonstrated that the drones cannot ensure air superiority in the absence of modern air force.
• The blended model in India, a mixture between the old and new systems, is one that guarantees sustainability and effectiveness .
• Mission Sudarshan Chakra is an illustration of a down-to-earth roadmap , in which the technology is viewed as part of a bigger mechanism, not as a universal fix.

Conclusion