How Mission Sudarshan Chakra will revolutionise India’s air defence system

During his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that ’every citizen must feel protected’ as he unveiled an ambitious national security initiative named ‘Sudarshan Chakra’, aimed at safeguarding India’s critical establishments through indigenous technological development over the next ten years.

“This mission will be research-based and developed entirely with indigenous technology,” the PM declared, emphasising self-reliance in strategic innovation. The initiative is expected to encompass a multi-layered security framework, integrating advanced surveillance, cyber protection, and physical infrastructure safeguards tailored to India’s evolving threat landscape.

Blending mythology with modern strategic vision PM Modi said, “We must similarly shield our vital institutions from emerging threats.” “By 2035, I want to expand, strengthen, and modernise this shield. Drawing inspiration from Lord Krishna, we have chosen the path of the Sudarshan Chakra… the entire system should be researched, developed, and manufactured in India.”

Incidentally, one of India’s Strike Corps, the 21 Corps, a key offensive force capable of carrying out operations deep into enemy territory and equipped with cutting-edge weapon systems, is also called Sudarshan Chakra.

Foreign Systems

In an era where global security dynamics are constantly shifting, missile defence systems have emerged as a cornerstone of national defence strategies. These sophisticated technologies are designed to detect, track, intercept, and neutralise incoming missile threats, ranging from short-range ballistic missiles to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). As geopolitical tensions rise and missile technology proliferates, the importance of robust missile defence systems cannot be overstated.

Amongst these security blankets currently being used are Israel’s Iron Dome, which has been in the spotlight during the conflict with Iran, and the US-proposed Golden Dome, which will act as a missile defence shield.

Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system has intercepted thousands of rockets since it went into operation in 2011, providing the country with crucial cover during times of conflict. It has been heavily relied upon to protect military and civilian sites from frequent barrages of rockets fired from Gaza and Lebanon in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

Israel initially developed the Iron Dome alone after the 2006 Lebanon War. As per Rafael, the Israeli Defence Company which designed it, ‘the system has an interception rate of around 90 per cent’.

In May this year President Donald Trump envisioned a ‘golden dome’—a ground-, sea-, and space-based missile defence system—protecting the US.

In his announcement President Trump spoke of an advanced shield to counter next-gen aerial threats, including ballistic and cruise missiles, one that would cost an estimated US$ 175 billion. The ‘golden dome’ will eventually “deploy next gen tech across the land, sea and space,” he said. This project is a mix of Israel’s Iron Dome and President Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defence Initiative, which in 1983 was nicknamed “Star Wars” and had the goal of placing lasers and interceptors in space to protect the US against Soviet nuclear missiles.

Russia has the A-135 anti-ballistic system protecting Moscow and other major cities and the potent S-400 that can knock out multiple intermediate-range ballistic missiles. India presently has three S-400 squadrons, with two more to be delivered. The A-135 system was a Soviet-designed system which entered service in 1995 as a successor to the previous A-35 .

China has the HQ-9 long-range, surface-to-air, anti-ballistic-capable system, a version of the Russian S-300. It is designed to intercept a variety of aerial threats, including aircraft, cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic missiles, and has also been sold to Pakistan, Morocco, Egypt, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The HQ-9 missile system is a key pillar of China’s modern air defence network, developed domestically as part of China’s broader effort to build an independent and capable air defence system, and entered service in the early 2000s.

Taiwan and Japan also have similar systems; the former has the Sky Bow family of surface-to-air, anti-ballistic missile and anti-aircraft defence systems, while the latter is set to operationalise the US’ PAC-3 surface-to-air interceptors.

India’s Shield Against Missile Threats and Cyber Attacks

India operates the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), which successfully countered Pakistani missile attempts during Operation Sindoor. It did so, first, by combining the air defence systems of the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy into a single system tracking and neutralising incoming threats in real time. The IACCS gave India a “net-centric operational capability” that is vital in warfare today.

Essentially, the IACCS co-ordinates, integrates, and controls air defence systems like radars, surveillance systems like AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control Systems), and fighter jets. In turn, the IACCS increases the military’s situational awareness, allowing it to deploy soldiers, equipment, or other assets based on the type of threat.

As per some reports, it is felt that the Sudarshan Chakra will be calibrated to integrate with India’s existing aerial defence framework. It is likely to be developed with the IACCS at the core, including the army’s indigenous Akashteer network. The Sudarshan Chakra will integrate advanced surveillance, interception, and counter-strike capabilities, enabling swift neutralisation of threats in the air, on land, and at sea, as well as in cyberspace. As per analysts, the Sudarshan Chakra, however, will extend beyond traditional missile defence.

Unlike traditional defence systems, Sudarshan Chakra is anticipated to also have an offensive component, allowing for precision strikes alongside attack neutralisation. The shield will offer layered protection by integrating surveillance, cybersecurity, and a broad range of air defence systems, capable of countering long-range missiles, aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles along the borders and around key infrastructure.

A defining feature will be its sensor grid, built from a fusion of space, air, and ground-based sensors, capable of detecting not only conventional missiles but also stealth platforms and hypersonic vehicles. Entirely developed under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, the programme will rely on indigenous research, development, manufacturing, and upgrades.

Cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), directed-energy weapons, lasers, and drones will form the core of the system. In essence, Sudarshan Chakra will be India’s counterpart to Israel’s Iron Dome and the proposed US Golden Dome but tailored with enhanced, future-ready capabilities.

The need to reinforce and improve layers of military and technological protection is imperative due to the wide spectrum of aerial threats. These assets include critical military and civilian installations—like electricity grids, communications networks, food and water supply, medical facilities, and defence systems—that are high-priority targets for enemy weapon systems in the modern battlefield milieu.

The envisioned technology is likely to manifest as a nationwide network of radars, command-and-control centres, and interceptor missiles, capable of detecting, tracking, and neutralising incoming missiles, drones, artillery shells, and even swarms or loitering munitions in real time, with artificial intelligence likely playing a central role.

Though specific details of Mission Sudarshan Chakra remain under wraps, it will involve collaboration between India’s premier research agencies, defence establishments, and private industry.

The Sudarshan Chakra is likely to form part of a multi-layer strategy, operating alongside current systems like Akash, S-400, and QR-SAM, as well as future laser-based interceptors, to provide overlapping protection against short-, medium-, and long-range threats — effectively functioning as an umbrella defence network.

Notably, the report highlights that Mission Sudarshan Chakra will likely incorporate precision counterstrike capabilities and measures to combat cyber threats such as hacking and phishing. The initiative is expected to involve collaboration between India’s top scientific and defence research agencies and military and private sector innovators.

The contours of the Sudarshan Chakra, the mechanism through which India will be protected through its Atmanirbhar initiative as revealed, seem to indicate a comprehensive and ultimate weapon system integrating both air defence and thereafter destructive capability to protect the assets of the nation. It will be multi-launched, that is, capable of being launched from all domains, such as land, sea and air, as well as being reusable. Further, the control of this will flow through the Chief of Defence Staff.

Conclusion

The announcement comes in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, during which Pakistan attempted to target Indian military installations, fighter aircraft, and urban centres. Indian defence systems successfully neutralised these attacks, highlighting the country’s existing defensive strengths.

During his address, the Prime Minister had said, “We have shown the world our capabilities and proved that India is ready to face any kind of warfare. We demonstrated this in Operation Sindoor. Pakistan attacked our military bases, civilian areas, and our temples, but our air defence systems—our Sudarshan Chakra—foiled all their attacks."

Mission Sudarshan Chakra aligns with the government’s broader push for Aatmanirbhar Bharat, especially in defence and critical infrastructure. The announcement comes amid heightened global concerns over cyber warfare, hybrid threats, and sabotage of strategic assets.

PM Modi’s emphasis on indigenous technology reinforces national sovereignty in security architecture. This state-of-the-art defence initiative stands as a strategic commitment to safeguarding the nation’s future and reflects a fusion of cultural ethos and cutting-edge innovation, positioning India to meet the challenges of the next decade with resilience and technological prowess.

There is no doubt that this defence system, when operationalised and deployed, will be a crucial pillar of our defence, blending cutting-edge indigenous technology to counter emerging aerial threats in an increasingly complex security landscape.

The author is a retired Major General of the Indian Army. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.