The battlespace immediately above the treetops and below traditional fighter altitudes—known as the air littoral—has emerged as the most contested and decisive layer in modern warfare. Saturated with drones, loitering munitions, attack helicopters, man-portable air-defence systems (MANPADS), and short-range air defence (SHORAD) systems, this altitude band has evolved from a mere tactical seam into a relentless combat zone. Shaped by advanced sensors, real-time data fusion, and distributed lethal effects, it demands a radical rethink of airpower doctrine, according to a report by Huma Siddiqui on Bharat Shakti web portal.

For India, dominance in the air littoral is not merely advantageous but foundational to national security. The country's operational environment encompasses high-altitude Himalayan terrain, dense urban corridors along the Line of Control (LoC), and heavily surveilled borders with China and Pakistan. Rapid proliferation of unmanned threats on these fronts—evident in cross-border drone incursions and loitering munition deployments—forces a generational shift in airpower strategy, force protection, and joint operations.

Global militaries, including India's adversaries and peers, have reached a consensus: control of the air littoral hinges not on standalone platforms but on seamless teaming between manned and unmanned systems. These systems must sense threats, process data instantaneously, and deliver strikes in a coordinated manner. India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and armed forces are aligning with this paradigm, prioritising networked architectures over isolated high-end assets.

Recent conflicts illustrate a crowded sky offering no sanctuary. In Ukraine, Gaza, and the South Caucasus, small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) relentlessly stalk armoured columns, while loitering munitions target air-defence radars with precision. Helicopters endure persistent threats from MANPADS and drone swarms, and electronic warfare (EW) systems strive to blind or deceive every airborne sensor. These battles reveal a tactical airspace where attrition occurs continuously, compressing decision cycles to seconds.

Ukraine's defence against Russian incursions underscores that survivability derives from dispersion, deception, and real-time sensor fusion rather than sheer armour or speed. AI-enabled first-person-view (FPV) drone swarms, launched from larger "mothership" platforms, exemplify this shift. Battlefield networks now shorten kill chains from hours to minutes, dismantling platform-centric warfare and elevating the air littoral as the decisive domain.

Manned platforms, particularly helicopters and slow-moving aircraft, confront overlapping threats in this environment: MANPADS, anti-aircraft guns, loitering munitions, and autonomous strike drones. Retiring crewed aviation is neither feasible nor desirable; instead, its role must be redefined. Manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) stands as the organising principle, transforming crewed assets into airborne command nodes that orchestrate unmanned "teammates" equipped with sensors, EW payloads, or precision munitions.

Western militaries are pioneering this model. The US Army's Apache helicopters, upgraded for counter-drone missions and MUM-T, exemplify integration with loyal wingman drones. The Royal Navy deploys helicopter-launched UAVs to extend situational awareness, shielding crews from direct exposure. NATO doctrines now emphasise such teaming, recognising that isolated platforms falter against distributed low-altitude threats.

India's defence ecosystem is accelerating towards this MUM-T paradigm, driven by operational imperatives. The Indian Army's recent large-scale drone exercise—the largest in its history—tested air-defence resilience and counter-UAV integration across simulated border scenarios. This underscores a pivotal recognition: low-altitude threats are central, not peripheral, to India's warfighting calculus, particularly amid escalating drone activity along the LoC and LAC.

Indigenous programs form the backbone of this shift. DRDO's Combat Air Teaming System (CATS), featuring the ABHYAS loyal wingman and swarm drones, promises a distributed airpower architecture. Complementary efforts include armed tactical UAVs like the Ghatak and indigenous loitering munitions such as the ALS-50, reducing reliance on imported "exquisite" platforms vulnerable to saturation attacks.

Indian forces are also deploying mobile counter-UAV systems tailored for manoeuvre units, marking a transition from static point defences to dynamic, layered air-littoral protection. Systems like the Indian Air Force's Akashteer and Army's integrated counter-drone grids—equipped with RF jammers, laser dazzlers, and kinetic interceptors—mirror validations from Ukraine, where mobility proved essential against fleeting drone threats.

Critical to this ecosystem is the sensor and data backbone. Indian R&D institutions, alongside private firms like Tata Advanced Systems and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), advance secure data links, AI-driven processing, and battlefield management systems resilient to contested electromagnetic environments. Projects like the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) enhancements ensure that drones and helicopters operate as coherent teams, even under jamming.

Sensor fusion emerges as the true decider of air-littoral dominance, pivoting the centre of gravity towards information superiority. The force mastering integration of video feeds, radar returns, electronic emissions, and target updates into a unified battlespace picture will dictate combat tempo. Recent wars demonstrate that drones gain exponential lethality when networked into battle-management systems automating target prioritisation, shooter cueing, and airspace de-confliction.

India's investments in AI-enabled fusion—via DRDO's AI Centres of Excellence and private sector innovations—position it advantageously. Secure communications like the Software Defined Radio (SDR) networks and EW-resilient datalinks outweigh sheer UAV numbers. For instance, fusing electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) feeds from loitering munitions with ground-based radars could neutralise Pakistani Orlan-10 equivalents in real time.

Air defence in the littoral blurs offence and defence into a singular fight. Proliferating unmanned threats mean even small units face drone swarms within minutes. Effective countermeasures demand seamless coordination: UAVs for reconnaissance, EO sensors for tracking, EW assets for disruption, and ground-based short-range shooters for kinetic effects.

In this domain, helicopters might direct unmanned scouts ahead, counter-UAV teams shield advancing formations, and elevated command nodes fuse data streams. Unified logic prevents fratricide or jamming overload, as seen in Israeli operations in Gaza where integrated networks thwarted Hamas drone incursions.

The decisive advantage lies not in platform speed or payload but in network quality—how adeptly sensors, shooters, and algorithms synchronise across manned and unmanned assets. MUM-T transitions from aspiration to doctrinal reality, underpinning operations below 5,000 feet where threats densify, timelines shrink, and information reigns as the premier weapon.

India's compressed strategic environment—high-altitude plateaus, urban chokepoints, and peer adversaries—amplifies these imperatives. Persistent awareness demands MUM-T adoption beyond global trends, securing the battlespace likeliest to tip conflicts. The side seeing first, deciding fastest, and acting as a distributed network will master the air littoral—and the ground battles it overshadows.

Emerging challenges include electromagnetic spectrum congestion and AI autonomy risks, yet India's trajectory—bolstered by partnerships like the India-US iCET for drone co-development—poises it to lead. By 2030, a mature MUM-T ecosystem could redefine South Asian airpower balances, compelling adversaries to rethink low-altitude incursions.

Based On Bharat Shakti Report