Akashteer: The Digital Nerve Centre of India's Unified Air Defence in Operation Sindoor

India Defense

In a future-defining military operation dubbed Operation Sindoor, India showcased the full might of its integrated air defence capabilities. At the heart of this defensive shield stood Akashteer, the Indian Army’s newly operationalized Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) tailored for ground-based air defence. Developed indigenously by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Akashteer forms the digital backbone that enables seamless data sharing, multi-layered coordination, and real-time command execution between various missile systems, radars, and anti-drone assets.

This article explores how Akashteer revolutionizes India's ability to defend against hostile drones, missiles, and aircraft, specifically during operations such as Sindoor, which demand fast response and multi-domain synergy against threats from adversaries like Pakistan.

What is Akashteer?

Akashteer is a network-centric command and control system designed to integrate the Indian Army's air defence architecture into a unified real-time operational environment. This system brings together:

• Surveillance radars

• Surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems

• Anti-drone units

• Communication networks

• Command posts and field formations

Akashteer enables automated tracking, threat evaluation, and response recommendation using artificial intelligence and advanced data fusion algorithms. It works across platforms and terrain, empowering commanders with 360-degree situational awareness and decision-making.

Multi-Layered Air Defence Integration in Operation Sindoor

S-400, Akash, and MRSAM Connectivity

In Operation Sindoor, the S-400 Triumf, India’s most advanced long-range SAM system with a range exceeding 400 km, formed the first line of strategic defence. However, no air defence network is complete without integration with medium and short-range systems, especially in a fast-paced, high-volume attack scenario. Akashteer provided that missing link.

1. S-400: Akashteer ensures that the S-400 system’s tracking and engagement data is digitally fed into the central command, where decisions on engagement priorities are made based on speed, altitude, and threat level.

2. MRSAM (Medium Range Surface to Air Missile): Co-developed with Israel, the MRSAM offers protection up to 70 km. Akashteer synchronizes its engagement envelope with S-400 and Akash batteries to prevent overlap and ensure coverage gaps are filled.

3. Akash SAMs: Designed for short- to medium-range defence (up to 30 km), Akash systems are fully integrated through Akashteer to act as close-in defensive rings for critical assets like forward airbases and command posts. They serve as a second or third engagement layer once longer-range assets have either failed to intercept or chosen not to engage.

The Akashteer system uses radar feed fusion, meaning that inputs from multiple radar types (Rajendra, Swathi, Aslesha, etc.) are combined into a single coherent air picture—eliminating clutter and redundancy.

Countering Drones: India’s Anti-UAV Net

Pakistan’s increasing use of low-flying, radar-evading drones to smuggle arms or carry out precision strikes has posed a unique challenge. Akashteer integrates:

• DRDO’s D-4 Anti-Drone Systems

• Swarm neutralization jammers

• Electro-optical sensors

• Directed energy and hard-kill options

These systems are fused with real-time data from ground radars and mobile intercept units, enabling operators to track, jam, and eliminate drone threats autonomously or under human oversight. In Operation Sindoor, Akashteer played a pivotal role in preventing multiple Pakistani drone intrusions along sensitive sectors like Punjab and Rajasthan by correlating aerial anomalies with drone signatures and alerting quick reaction teams (QRTs).

Real-Time Communication and Distributed Command

What makes Akashteer unique is its multi-node communication architecture. Every unit—be it a mobile radar, an Akash fire unit, or a surveillance post—acts as both a receiver and sender of data. This architecture enables:

• Mission-critical communication between air defence units and ground formations

• Rapid command relay from Corps HQ to individual missile batteries

• Interoperability with Indian Air Force’s IACCS and BharatNet where needed

It ensures that even in the event of jamming or communication degradation, alternate routes are automatically selected, maintaining a robust and resilient command chain.

Enhanced Situational Awareness and Decision Support

Akashteer’s core strength lies in its Command and Control Software Suite, which processes incoming radar tracks, identifies friend or foe (IFF), prioritizes targets based on threat matrices, and even suggests optimal engagement plans to human operators. During Operation Sindoor, this allowed Indian commanders to pre-emptively position interceptors and pre-launch countermeasures within seconds of detection—a game-changer against supersonic cruise missiles or fast-moving fighter aircraft.

Battlefield-Proven Interoperability

Operation Sindoor marked the first large-scale exercise where Akashteer controlled air defence assets across multiple Corps and Strike Commands simultaneously. The system proved capable of:

• Tracking hundreds of aerial targets simultaneously

• Coordinating engagements with IAF and Indian Navy units

• Managing both conventional and asymmetric threats (e.g., drones, decoys, jammers)

It has also demonstrated compatibility with future systems like VL-SRSAM, the XRSAM, and potential laser-based interceptors, indicating long-term scalability.

Conclusion: A Digitized Dome of Defence

India’s airspace, especially in the western theatre, is growing more complex due to emerging threats. With Akashteer, India has moved decisively toward a fully networked, layered, and adaptive air defence ecosystem that doesn’t just react to threats—it anticipates and neutralizes them preemptively. Operation Sindoor was a successful testbed that validated the Indian Army’s ability to operate such a system in real-time combat conditions.

As adversaries invest in hypersonic weapons and drone swarms, India’s response lies not just in superior firepower but in smarter coordination, and that’s exactly what Akashteer delivers.