Explore Business Standard
Air Defence
India's proposed air defence system Sudarshan Chakra will be the "mother of all air defence systems combined together" and will include counter-drone, counter-UAV and counter-hypersonic systems among others, a top military official said on Tuesday. In his address at a conference 'Counter UAVs & Air Defence Systems: Future of Modern Warfare' here, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit also said that the adversary has learnt from Operation Sindoor and so "we will have to be two steps ahead" of them in military thinking and planning. The event saw participation of senior military officers, representatives of various firms in the defence industry and domain experts. Air Marshal Dixit gave references to the recent Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, the Russia-Ukraine war and how relatively much cheaper drones have played a critical role in inflicting huge damage to expensive military assets of the other side. They have created an "innovation adaption cycle" and .
India has "successfully" conducted the maiden flight tests of an integrated air defence weapon system (IADWS) off the coast of Odisha. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the developer of the platform, and the armed forces on the flight tests. The indigenous air defence system was flight-tested 1230 hours off the coast of Odisha on Saturday. The flight tests of the new air defence system came three-and-half months after Operation Sindoor. IADWS is a multi-layered air defence system consisting of all indigenous quick reaction surface-to-air missiles, very short range air defence system (VSHORADS) missiles and a high power laser based directed energy weapons (DEW) system. "I congratulate the DRDO, Indian armed forces and the industry for successful development of IADWS," Singh said on social media. "This unique flight test has established the multi-layered air-defence capability of our country and is going to streng
With drones and other disruptive technologies impacting the dynamics of warfare as demonstrated in recent conflicts, the Army Air Defence has drawn a roadmap to boost its capabilities through replacement of two of its old platforms, induction of new fragmentation ammunition for existing air defence guns, and deployment of more potent radars. Besides, the army is also hoping to place a contract for the indigenously developed Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) system within 4-5 months, a top official said on Friday. The Corps of Army Air Defence holds a large variety of missile systems and guns in its inventory such as the L70, Zu-23mm, Schilka, Tanguska and Osa-AK missile system. "The fashion of guns is back. The army sustained them for good reason and these guns can be effectively used with fragmentation ammunition," Director General of Army Air Defence (AAD), Lt Gen Sumer Ivan D'Cunha, said. Asserting the need for modernisation with an emphasis on 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat',
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will again call on allies to boost its air defences at this week's meeting in Germany, as US President-elect Donald Trump takes over later this month with a vow to end the almost three-year war quickly. Zelenskyy said that dozens of partner countries will participate in the meeting of the Ramstein group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Thursday, including those who can help boost our capabilities not only to defend against missiles but also against guided bombs and Russian aviation. We will discuss this with them and continue to persuade them, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address on Saturday. The task remains unchanged: strengthening our air defence. US Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin will attend the meeting. Biden was originally scheduled to attend the October summit in Ramstein but it was postponed because of response to Hurricane Milton that battered the US. In its last few weeks in office, the Biden administration was pressin