Recent details from defence sources reveal how Mission Sudarshan Chakra, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on India's 79th Independence Day, will incorporate advanced components like directed energy weapons, satellites, and a vast radar network to create a multilayered air defence shield. This initiative aims to protect strategic and civilian sites from aerial threats, building on successful tests of indigenous systems and lessons from recent conflicts, highlighting India's push towards self-reliant defence technology amid evolving regional security challenges.
What Is Mission Sudarshan Chakra and Why Was It Launched?
Basic Concept: Mission Sudarshan Chakra is India's indigenous initiative to build a comprehensive, multilayered air defence shield that monitors, detects, identifies, and destroys aerial threats like drones, missiles, and aircraft, while also enabling counterattacks.
Launch Background: Announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2025, during India's Independence Day speech, it draws symbolic inspiration from Lord Krishna's Sudarshan Chakra in Hindu mythology, which was used to block sunlight in the Mahabharata, representing protection and strength.
Purpose and Need: Launched to address evolving threats such as hypersonic missiles, stealth fighters, and drone swarms, especially after lessons from Operation Sindoor in May 2025, where Pakistan launched drone and missile attacks on Indian cities, highlighting gaps in civilian protection.
Strategic Importance: It shifts India from relying on imported systems like Russia's S-400 to self-reliant technology, ensuring coverage for both military and civilian sites, with a goal of full operation by 2035 to make every citizen feel safe.
What Are the Key Components of the Air Defence Shield?
Radar Network: Includes 6,000 to 7,000 radars, with over-the-horizon (OTH) radars that detect threats far beyond visible horizons, tracking aircraft, drones, and missiles deep in enemy territory and directing linked weapons for destruction.
Satellites for Surveillance: Plans to deploy 52 new satellites by 2030 under Phase 3 of the Space-Based Surveillance programme, providing constant space-based watch, scanning for threats, and cueing ground systems for interception.
Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs): High-powered laser systems to neutralise targets at ranges up to 3.5 km, including a 5-kilowatt laser tested by DRDO in April 2025 that destroyed fixed-wing drones, swarm drones, and surveillance equipment.
Missile Systems: Integrates Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAM) for threats up to 30 km, Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORADS) for low-altitude portable defence, and long/medium-range missiles for broader coverage.
Other Elements: Anti-drone technologies, air defence guns, jammers, sirens, and cyber protection, all fused into one network for layered defence against diverse threats.
How Does the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) Work Within the Mission?
System Overview: IADWS is a core component, combining missiles, lasers, radars, and sensors in a centralised command centre for quick response, tested successfully on August 23, 2025, off Odisha's coast, destroying three targets simultaneously at different altitudes.
Step-by-Step Functioning: Radars scan and acquire targets; data transfers to nearby units if needed; launch commands authorise missiles; active seekers on missiles lock on autonomously; threats are destroyed via proximity fuses or direct hits.
Role in Sudarshan Chakra: It provides multi-layered protection, with QRSAM handling aircraft and missiles, VSHORADS for close-range threats, and DEWs for precise, non-kinetic kills, ensuring no gaps in defence.
Advancements: Includes future high-energy microwaves and electromagnetic pulses for "Star Wars-like" capabilities, allowing disabling of threats without physical impact.
What Is the Background of India's Air Defence Evolution Leading to This Mission?
Historical Context: India's air defence began with basic radar and missile systems in the 1960s-70s, evolving to imported tech like S-400, which downed Pakistani threats during Operation Sindoor, but exposed reliance on foreign suppliers.
Recent Developments: Operation Sindoor in May 2025, a four-day conflict after the Pahalgam terror attack killing 26, saw IACCS and Akashteer systems counter multiple waves of drones and missiles, saving 15 Indian cities and killing over 100 terrorists.
Lessons Learned: Emphasised need for indigenous, expandable shields covering civilians, leading to Sudarshan Chakra as a "shield and sword" for detection, neutralisation, and retaliation.
Global Comparisons: Similar to Israel's Iron Dome (90% success against rockets), US's Patriot/THAAD, Russia's S-500, but tailored for India's vast territory with AI and quantum tech for affordability.
How Will Technology and Integration Challenges Be Addressed?
Technological Integration: Uses AI, quantum computing, big data, and large language models to analyse colossal real-time data from multi-domain sensors (land, air, sea, space, cyber) for instant decisions.
Challenges: Massive integration requires robust infrastructure for detection and neutralisation using kinetic (missiles) and soft kills (jammers, pulses), described by CDS General Anil Chauhan as "colossal" but achievable via whole-of-nation approach.
Collaboration: Involves armed forces, paramilitary, DRDO, private sector, and PSUs; most components indigenous, with some global integration for layered protection.
Timelines and Expansion: Starts with current systems like IACCS and Akashteer, expanding to full coverage by 2035, phased from surveillance to advanced counterstrikes.
What Are the Implications for India's Security and Self-Reliance?
Security Benefits: Protects against proliferating threats like drones and hypersonic missiles, deterring adversaries by ensuring attacks fail, while enabling offensive strikes for overwhelming response.
Self-Reliance Push: Reduces import dependence (e.g., from Russia, China), harnessing youth talent for R&D, aligning with Atmanirbhar Bharat for economic and strategic independence.
Broader Impacts: Joins elite nations (US, Russia, China, Israel) with DEW tech; requires vast investments but promises affordable, scalable defence for India's scale.
Potential Risks: Coordination across domains and data overload; success depends on political commitment, industry partnerships, and addressing engine propulsion gaps in jets like Tejas.
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