India deployed a number of missiles, stand-off weapons, drones, and counter-drone and air defence systems for defensive and offensive operations. Its indigenous systems emerged as bright sparks in this aerial contest. The Akash missiles, radars, loitering drones, drone swarms, D4 (drone detect, deter and destroy) systems, drone jammers, other unmanned systems and Akashteer network were at the forefront. Light combat aircraft and helicopters were ready to take on contingencies. These systems, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, public sector units, startups and Indian innovators played varying roles in this short contest. Its upgraded L-70 and ZSU-23 guns were in action in blunting Pakistan’s drone strikes.
The battle experience provided an opportunity to test and validate capabilities, and the limitations and challenges of the indigenous systems. The lessons learnt would help in instituting design improvements, raising quality standards and planning of future upgrades with the end result being better products that are likely to be more robust and could have greater global acceptability in the global market.
The unexpected attack, India’s graded response and phased escalation would have given Ministry, users, finance, and other stakeholders an opportunity to analyse challenges that could be leveraged for fine tuning policies, structures and mechanisms for stimulating indigenous research, innovations, spiral development, facilitating smooth procurement of indigenous equipment and their operationalisation.
The aerial contest may have been halted for now, but the threat of rogue and hostile drones and drone swarms may increase in future. The early induction of indigenous quick-reaction surface-to-air missiles or QRSAMs and fire control radars; launching the development of advanced indigenous autonomous anti-aircraft cum anti-drone guns, and using stealth wing flying test bed or SWIFT as armed precision-strike platforms are areas for introspection.
Operation Sindoor is a proof of the salience of thoughtful employment of air power in less-than-war scenarios and the benefits of indigenous technologies. The significant contributions of indigenous drones, counter-drones, missiles, integrated air defence and other systems in defending the country were the result of India’s push for atmanirbharta and innovation initiatives comprising indigenous design, development and manufacturing, innovation for defence excellence or iDEX, and the Mehar Baba unmanned aerial system swarm competitions.
Group Capt R K Narang, VM (Retd)
Former IAF officer and Senior Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
(Views are personal)