Intelligence assessments indicate growing concerns about Pakistan Air Force attempts to breach Indian airspace through the Arabian Sea route following recent failures along traditional land borders. The May 2025 Indo-Pakistan conflict demonstrated Pakistan's vulnerability in conventional air operations, with the Indian Air Force successfully neutralising multiple Pakistani airbases and air defence systems.

India is reinforcing its western coast with an integrated Surface-to-Air Missile network comprising the advanced S-400 Triumf system with 400km range capability, Barak-8 Medium Range SAM (70-100km range), and indigenous Akash missile systems (45km range).

These systems demonstrated their effectiveness during Operation Sindoor, successfully intercepting all Pakistani missile and drone attacks on 15 Indian cities.

The Indian Air Force is expanding radar coverage with advanced installations, including a new radar centre being established in Kozhikode, Kerala, to provide comprehensive surveillance over the Arabian Sea and southern airspace. This facility will integrate into the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) providing 360-degree coverage and early warning capabilities against aerial threats.

The Indian Navy has significantly bolstered its presence in the Arabian Sea with combat-ready deployments including the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and advanced destroyers equipped with Barak-8 LRSAM systems. Recent Exercise Konkan-2025 with the UK Royal Navy demonstrated enhanced anti-air warfare capabilities and interoperability.

The commissioning of INS Androth, India's second Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, adds critical coastal defence capabilities against potential underwater ingress attempts. The vessel features advanced sonar systems and indigenously developed anti-submarine warfare equipment.

India has deployed an Integrated Counter-Unmanned Aerial System Grid combining electronic warfare capabilities, anti-drone technologies from DRDO, and kinetic interception systems. This multi-spectrum approach proved highly effective during Pakistani drone swarm attacks in May 2025.

The combat debut of Israeli-origin Harop drones and indigenous loitering munitions during Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's offensive-defensive integration, successfully targeting Pakistani air defence assets in Karachi and Lahore.

India's ambitious Mission Sudarshan Chakra project aims to link 6,000-7,000 radars, surveillance satellites, and directed energy weapons into a comprehensive national air defence network. This system will provide enhanced monitoring and interception capabilities across all coastal regions including the vulnerable Arabian Sea approaches.

By 2030, India plans to deploy 52 new surveillance satellites under Phase 3 of the Space-Based Surveillance programme, providing continuous monitoring of the Arabian Sea and western coastal regions.

The Indian Air Force maintains high alert status across western sectors with reinforced Operational Readiness Platforms at key airbases and emergency landing capabilities on expressway networks for distributed operations. Fighter aircraft including Rafales, Mirages, and Jaguars are maintained in mission-ready status with rapid deployment capabilities.

The Western Naval Command has been placed under heightened operational readiness with Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi's recent review emphasising maritime deterrence posture. Integration between air, naval, and ground-based air defence assets ensures comprehensive coverage against multi-domain threats.

The May 2025 conflict showcased India's air defence ecosystem's capability to neutralise over 500 hostile drones and multiple missile strikes with zero infrastructure damage. This successful defensive operation, combined with precision retaliatory strikes, has significantly degraded Pakistani air capabilities.

The reinforced western coast air defence posture addresses not only Pakistani threats but also broader regional security concerns including Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region. The integrated approach provides India with enhanced deterrence capabilities and strategic depth in the maritime domain.

Agencies