Air Defence in Action: Lessons from Operation Sindoor

Operation Sindoor, launched on 7 May 2025, was not only India’s most decisive military response. It was also the first time the Indian Army’s indigenous Akashteer air defence command-and-control system was tested in combat conditions. The results have reset the debate on how India’s layered air defence will underpin theatreisation in the years ahead.

The Operation and the Onslaught

Over four days, India struck nine high-value terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, targeting the JeM and LeT leadership. The retaliation that followed was described as Pakistan’s heaviest aerial offensive in years. Waves of drones, Turkish-origin Bayraktar systems, loitering munitions, and cruise and ballistic missiles probed India’s airspace.

What followed was a textbook demonstration of layered defence. Rafales, Sukhoi-30MKIs and Mirages patrolled the skies. The IAF’s S-400 batteries and MRSAM systems provided long- and mid-range cover. Army Air Defence units, plugged into Akashteer, managed the tactical fight with Akash, legacy L-70 and Zu-23 guns, MANPADS nets, and even the BEL-developed D4 laser prototype.

Akashteer in Combat

At the heart of this was Akashteer, DRDO’s indigenously developed digital C2 network. Sitting below the IAF’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), it fused radar, electronic warfare and satellite tracks in real time, assigning threats to the most appropriate shooter.

For the first time, India demonstrated a seamless “kill chain”: from ISR detection, to Akashteer fusion, to weapon cueing, to intercept. DRDO chief Samir V. Kamat later said the system had performed “exceedingly well,” claiming that every inbound threat was neutralised without loss of civilian or military assets. S-400 batteries reportedly engaged targets at ranges of up to 300 kilometres, while Akashteer orchestrated the rapid re-tasking of Army AD units against smaller drones.

Gaps Exposed

Yet beneath the success story, limitations were clear. Low-RCS drones and swarming tactics strained detection and tracking. Electronic countermeasures complicated cueing. In several sectors, Army AD still relied on legacy gun systems. The “workarounds” — MANPADS nets, rapid re-tasking via Akashteer, and soft-kill jammers — worked, but underlined gaps that adversaries will continue to exploit.

These lessons have already spurred change. Post-Sindoor, the Army accelerated induction of QRSAM and Akash-NG batteries, and BEL began fast-tracking its Sudarshan Chakra integrated air defence system — combining missiles and directed-energy anti-drone layers. User feedback has demanded denser deployment of mobile nets, better sensor fusion, and expanded training stockpiles.

The Information War

Sindoor was also a test of India’s information operations. Pakistan and its proxies pushed out deepfake videos of shot-down Indian fighters, inflated casualty claims, and images of alleged civilian structures hit. Within 24 hours, the Defence Ministry and PIB released satellite imagery, intercept footage, and BDA visuals disproving the propaganda. In a war where perception is half the battle, India’s quick fact-checks helped blunt adversary narratives and sustain morale at home.

Lessons for Theatreisation

Three clear takeaways emerge. First, networked command-and-control is decisive. The integration of Akashteer with IACCS proved that only fused tracks and dynamic tasking can blunt saturation raids. Second, counter-drone warfare must remain a top investment priority. Directed-energy systems, mobile jammers and denser nets are not luxuries but necessities. Third, information warfare is now inseparable from air defence. Winning the intercept is not enough; the story must be told before the adversary’s fake news takes root.

Operation Sindoor was a validation of India’s layered air defence, but also a warning. Adversaries will double down on low-cost drones, ECM and swarming tactics. India’s response — indigenous systems like Akashteer, rapid post-op upgrades like Sudarshan Chakra, and faster information ops — shows the way forward.

In the words of one senior officer, “This was not just about shooting down drones. It was about proving that India’s integrated theatre commands will fight in the air, on the ground, and online — all at once.”