India’s proposed Sudarshan Chakra air defence system has been described by senior military leadership as the "mother of all air defence systems combined together." The ambitious project, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech earlier this year, is envisioned as a 10-year undertaking. It will integrate a wide range of technologies, from advanced sensors and missiles to surveillance assets and artificial intelligence, creating both a shield and a sword against evolving aerial threats.

A Multi-Layered Defence Concept

According to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan, Sudarshan Chakra will serve as a comprehensive air defence platform similar in spirit to Israel’s Iron Dome but with wider, multi-domain capabilities. Unlike existing standalone systems, it will combine counter-drone, counter-UAV, and counter-hypersonic technologies into one integrated mission structure. This layered construct will ensure that defensive coverage spans from low-altitude drones to fast, high-altitude hypersonic weapons.

Learning From Operation Sindoor

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC), highlighted lessons from Operation Sindoor, where India successfully countered hostile drones. Many of the intercepted drones were equipped with advanced AI, computer vision, and navigation capabilities that allowed them to function despite GPS jamming. While India’s counter-drone measures proved effective in minimising damage, Dixit cautioned that adversaries are adapting quickly. Hence, future engagements will require India to “stay two steps ahead” in integrating new technologies and tactics.

The Role of AI And Innovation

The envisioned Sudarshan Chakra will rely heavily on artificial intelligence tools for surveillance, threat detection, and engagement decision-making. AI-driven analytics will fuse data from radars, satellites, and other sensor arrays to track targets in real time, enabling rapid and automated responses. Both soft kill methods, like electronic warfare and jamming, and hard kill options, such as directed energy weapons and missiles, are expected to form critical layers of the defence envelope.

Global Lessons And Economic Balancing

Dixit underscored lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war and the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, where inexpensive drones were able to inflict disproportionate damage on costly military systems. He emphasised that warfare is as much an economic contest as it is a technological one, stating that "I cannot go bankrupt while winning a war." Thus, Sudarshan Chakra will focus not just on achieving technological superiority but also on ensuring cost-effective, scalable solutions that can be fielded in large numbers.

Indigenous Focus And Strategic Surprise

The air defence system is being pursued under the ethos of Atmanirbharta (self-reliance). Indian industry, academia, and think tanks are expected to jointly innovate indigenous solutions rather than depend solely on imports. This domestic focus is seen as critical to achieving a "surprise element" in warfare, where unique homegrown systems can outpace adversary expectations. However, as Dixit noted, such surprise advantages must be renewed constantly, as adversaries will learn and adapt over time.

Future Outlook

At present, Sudarshan Chakra remains in its ideation phase, and many of its components are yet to be formally defined. Still, the vision is clear: an all-encompassing, multi-layered defensive network designed not only to neutralise drones and UAVs, but also to counter more complex threats such as hypersonic weapons. Once operational, it may become India’s most technologically ambitious defence system, fundamentally reshaping the country’s air defence architecture in the coming decade.

Layered structure of the envisioned Sudarshan Chakra Air Defence System, arranged in a tabular format to map threats, altitude levels, and countermeasures:

This structure allows Sudarshan Chakra to function as a composite system of systems, defending simultaneously against drones, UAVs, cruise missiles, aircraft, and hypersonic threats.

LayerAltitudePrimary ThreatsCountermeasures & SystemsRole in Defence Network
Layer 1: Low AltitudeBelow 5 km (close range)Commercial drones, swarm drones, quadcopters, loitering munitions, short-range UAVsCounter-drone jammers, laser-based Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs), electronic warfare (EW), kinetic interceptors, GPS spoofing/jamming toolsForms the first shield to neutralise mass low-cost drone threats rapidly and cheaply before they can strike assets.
Layer 2: Medium Altitude5–20 kmLarger UAVs, cruise missiles, attack helicopters, slow-moving aircraftSurface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) like Akash-NG, Quick Reaction SAM (QRSAM), medium-range radars, AI-driven fire controlProvides area defence against more robust air-breathing threats, preventing medium-altitude penetrations.
Layer 3: High Altitude20–60 kmFighter aircraft, advanced drones, conventional ballistic missilesMR-SAM (Barak-8 class), extended-range interceptors, long-range radars, integration with AWACS & satellite sensorsActs as the air superiority layer, intercepting high-value aerial threats with high precision.
Layer 4: Exo-Atmospheric / Hypersonic60 km+Hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs), long-range ballistic missiles, future stealth UAVsBallistic Missile Defence (BMD) interceptors (PDV, AD-1/AD-2), Directed Energy-based systems (future), AI-enabled space tracking systemsDesigned as the final shield against the most advanced, ultra-fast threats, ensuring strategic deterrence.
Integration LayerAll altitude levelsMulti-domain coordinationAI-powered command and control (C4ISR), real-time sensor fusion (satellite, radar, EO/IR, UAV feeds), automated battle managementEnsures seamless integration of all layers, providing situational awareness, rapid decision-making, and high-efficiency kills.

IDN (With NDTV Inputs)