NEW DELHI: Over 600 drones launched by Pakistan were simply swatted out of the sky while the rest were repelled by Army air defence (AD) units, which were swiftly deployed along the western front in the build-up to the launch of ‘ Operation Sindoor ’ on May 7, senior officers said on Friday.
More than 1,000 AD gun systems and 750 short and medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, of all shapes and sizes, plugged into a wide array of radars, were mobilised in double-quick time. This ensured the multi-layered air defence network transformed from a peacetime posture to full operational readiness to thwart the multiple waves of drones unleashed by Pakistan during the four days of hostilities last week.
“The operation not only safeguarded vital military and civilian infrastructure but also shattered the myth of drone supremacy. It has shown that Indian boots on the ground, backed by indigenous technology and rigorous training, can defend the skies with unmatched precision,” a senior Army Air Defence (AAD) officer said.
Pakistan’s strategy of launching multiple drone swarms , many of them armed, were aimed to map and test India’s AD radar network as well as get the Indian armed forces to deplete their stockpiles of ammunition and missiles designed to take on hostile aerial threats. The Indian defence establishment was ready, having built adequate ammo reserves through regular and emergency procurements over the last five years due to the military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh.
“Pakistan’s strategy was to overwhelm India’s integrated air defence grid, gather real-time intelligence, and target population centres, military assets and places of worship. But it failed spectacularly,” another officer said.
“We neither open up all our radars, nor keep them open round-the-clock, to ensure the adversary does not pick up electronic signatures. One also does not use the top-end Russian S-400 (interception range 380km) or Barak-8 MR-SAM (70km, jointly produced with Israel) AD systems against low-value targets like small drones,” he added.
Old ‘legacy’ AD weapons like L-70 anti-aircraft guns, ZU-23mm twin-barrel guns and upgraded Schilka, often underestimated in this era of high-tech warfare, proved their mettle in this arena. “They emerged as highly effective point defence systems against low-flying, hard-to-detect drone swarms,” he said.
The indigenous Akash AD missile systems, with an interception range of 25km, also played a major role in taking care of the bigger threats like aircraft, armed UAVs and the Turkish Byker Yiha III kamikaze drones.
Army deployed six nodes of its new indigenous Akashteer air defence control and reporting systems, which were fully plugged into IAF’s larger IACCS ( integrated air command and control system ) for a real-time composite air situation picture available to all commanders on the ground, as reported by TOI earlier.
“Akashteer’s digital backbone offered unmatched situational awareness and real-time command-and-control capabilities, enabling commanders to neutralise threats swiftly without risking friendly aerial platforms,” the officer said. The “sheer scale” of engagement, speed of deployment, and level of integration between sensors, shooters & networks across the Services is “a turning point” in India’s AD preparedness, he added.
More than 1,000 AD gun systems and 750 short and medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, of all shapes and sizes, plugged into a wide array of radars, were mobilised in double-quick time. This ensured the multi-layered air defence network transformed from a peacetime posture to full operational readiness to thwart the multiple waves of drones unleashed by Pakistan during the four days of hostilities last week.
“The operation not only safeguarded vital military and civilian infrastructure but also shattered the myth of drone supremacy. It has shown that Indian boots on the ground, backed by indigenous technology and rigorous training, can defend the skies with unmatched precision,” a senior Army Air Defence (AAD) officer said.
Pakistan’s strategy of launching multiple drone swarms , many of them armed, were aimed to map and test India’s AD radar network as well as get the Indian armed forces to deplete their stockpiles of ammunition and missiles designed to take on hostile aerial threats. The Indian defence establishment was ready, having built adequate ammo reserves through regular and emergency procurements over the last five years due to the military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh.
“Pakistan’s strategy was to overwhelm India’s integrated air defence grid, gather real-time intelligence, and target population centres, military assets and places of worship. But it failed spectacularly,” another officer said.
“We neither open up all our radars, nor keep them open round-the-clock, to ensure the adversary does not pick up electronic signatures. One also does not use the top-end Russian S-400 (interception range 380km) or Barak-8 MR-SAM (70km, jointly produced with Israel) AD systems against low-value targets like small drones,” he added.
Old ‘legacy’ AD weapons like L-70 anti-aircraft guns, ZU-23mm twin-barrel guns and upgraded Schilka, often underestimated in this era of high-tech warfare, proved their mettle in this arena. “They emerged as highly effective point defence systems against low-flying, hard-to-detect drone swarms,” he said.
The indigenous Akash AD missile systems, with an interception range of 25km, also played a major role in taking care of the bigger threats like aircraft, armed UAVs and the Turkish Byker Yiha III kamikaze drones.
Army deployed six nodes of its new indigenous Akashteer air defence control and reporting systems, which were fully plugged into IAF’s larger IACCS ( integrated air command and control system ) for a real-time composite air situation picture available to all commanders on the ground, as reported by TOI earlier.
“Akashteer’s digital backbone offered unmatched situational awareness and real-time command-and-control capabilities, enabling commanders to neutralise threats swiftly without risking friendly aerial platforms,” the officer said. The “sheer scale” of engagement, speed of deployment, and level of integration between sensors, shooters & networks across the Services is “a turning point” in India’s AD preparedness, he added.
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