Mission Sudarshan Chakra: Strengthening India’s Drone Defence

India has launched Mission Sudarshan Chakra, an ambitious national programme aimed at building a comprehensive, multi-layered air defence shield to counter emerging aerial threats, especially hostile drones. The initiative reflects a strategic shift in India’s defence posture as unmanned aerial systems increasingly reshape modern warfare, particularly along sensitive borders with Pakistan.

Rising Drone Threats and Strategic Imperative

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as low-cost but high-impact asymmetric weapons. They are now widely used for:

• Surveillance and intelligence gathering
• Smuggling of arms and narcotics
• Precision strikes on military and civilian targets

Attempts to deploy drones during Operation Sindoor and extensive drone use in the Russia–Ukraine conflict have demonstrated their disruptive potential. Indian security agencies have also reported a sharp rise in cross-border drone intrusions, highlighting the limitations of traditional air defence systems against small, low-flying targets. This evolving threat environment has made a specialised counter-drone architecture a strategic necessity.

Mission Sudarshan Chakra and Air Defence Modernisation

Mission Sudarshan Chakra aims to establish an integrated air defence shield capable of countering:

• Fighter aircraft
• Missiles
• Unmanned aerial systems (drones)

The programme targets completion by 2035 and complements India’s existing air defence framework, including the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS). The focus is on layered defence, combining long-range interception systems with short-range and point-defence solutions to address diverse threat vectors.

This initiative signals India’s transition from platform-centric defence to network-centric and threat-specific air defence planning.

Joint Counter Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid

Parallel to Mission Sudarshan Chakra, the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force are jointly developing a Joint Counter Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) grid.

Key Features of the CUAS Grid

• Integration of sensors, command centres, and response units
• Establishment of Joint Air Defence Centres
• Real-time data sharing across the three services
• Faster threat detection, assessment, and coordinated response

The grid is designed to protect borders, coastlines, and critical strategic installations, significantly improving India’s ability to neutralise drone incursions.

Soft-Kill and Hard-Kill Countermeasures

India’s counter-drone strategy under Mission Sudarshan Chakra relies on a dual approach:

Soft-Kill Measures

These techniques disable drones without physical destruction:

• Electronic warfare systems
• Communication signal disruption
• GNSS (satellite navigation) jamming

Hard-Kill Measures

These involve physically neutralising hostile drones:

• Directed energy weapons
• Laser-based systems
• Point-defence guns and kinetic interceptors

The combination of soft-kill and hard-kill measures ensures flexibility, scalability, and effectiveness against a wide range of drone threats.