Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort this Independence Day, announced Mission Sudarshan Chakra, a transformative step in India’s defence preparedness. The project is set for completion by 2035 and aims to create a fully indigenous, multi-layered air defence system capable of meeting emerging regional threats.
In today’s DNA, we analysed the significance of Mission Sudarshan Chakra announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focusing on its potential to revolutionise India’s air defence capabilities.
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The declaration comes in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, a counter-terror operation that sent a strong message to Pakistan and the world regarding the near-impenetrability of India’s air defence. During that conflict, India’s indigenously developed Akash systems neutralised Pakistani drones and short-range missiles, while the advanced S-400 system successfully destroyed aircraft and long-range missiles before they could strike Indian territory. The effectiveness of this response was underscored when the Indian Air Force confirmed the downing of a Pakistani ELINT aircraft.
What Is An ELINT Aircraft?
An ELINT aircraft is designed for Electronic Intelligence gathering. It detects, intercepts, and analyses electronic emissions from enemy radar systems, communications, and air defence networks.
Mission Sudarshan Chakra: A Layered Defence Approach Inspired By Mythology
Between May 7 and 10, as tensions escalated, estimates suggest that over 800 missiles and around 600 drones were launched by Pakistan, including almost 200 drones aimed at Gujarat alone. Indian air defence intercepted and eliminated the vast majority of these threats, with minimal damage on the ground, a performance validated by official data post-conflict.
This operational success now underpins the vision for Mission Sudarshan Chakra. Inspired by the mythological weapon wielded by Lord Krishna, Mission Sudarshan Chakra aims to provide India with an unprecedented level of layered defence, capable of both intercepting and retaliating against hostile threats. All major Indian defence research agencies and select private companies will contribute to the project, ensuring that every subsystem will be designed and manufactured domestically.
Capabilities Of Mission Sudarshan Chakra
What sets Sudarshan Chakra apart is its capacity to counteract five types of threats, including the ability to detect and intercept long-range missiles well outside Indian airspace. The system will also be able to identify and neutralise both medium- and short-range missiles, as well as enemy drones, up to approximately 500km. For short-range aerial threats, a rapid-response defence component will be deployed.
Sudarshan Chakra: Cyber Defence
In addition to aerial defence, Sudarshan Chakra will integrate cyber defence mechanisms, tracing the origins of missile or drone launches to enable precise retaliatory strikes against adversary positions. The permanent integration of the Army, Air Force, and Navy’s air defence assets—tested in Operation Sindoor for 100 hours of continuous engagement—is a central aspect of the plan. Furthermore, deployment of laser-based weapons, whose efficacy was demonstrated against drones in recent engagements, is expected on a larger scale.
Project Kush
India’s ongoing Project Kush, under development by the DRDO and slated for full implementation by 2030, is also likely to be folded into Sudarshan Chakra. Project Kush involves the creation of multi-range interceptor missiles—M-1 (150km), M-2 (250km), and M-4 (up to 400km, including hypersonic targets), with a total budget of Rs 21,700 crore. These interceptors will also support naval operations, with technology inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome system, known for its 90% success rate.
NOTAMs Over Indian Ocean: Is India Preparing for Agni-6 or BrahMos-ER Missile Tests?
Recent Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) over the Indian Ocean, covering almost 5,000km, indicate India is preparing for possible long-range missile tests of either Agni-6 or BrahMos-ER.
The Agni-6 missile is reported to have a potential range of around 9,000 km, although some experts suggest it could reach up to 12,000 km. It is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying between 4 to 10 warheads, meaning a single Agni-6 missile could potentially strike up to 10 targets.
Alongside Agni-6, the possibility of testing the BrahMos missile is also being considered. The reasoning behind this is linked to Operation Sindoor, where Pakistan’s air defence failed to intercept any BrahMos missiles fired by India, resulting in significant damage at the impact sites. This has led analysts to suggest that India might test the BrahMos-ER variant as well.
In its first test, the BrahMos-ER missile achieved a range of 350–400 km. However, its upgraded version has not yet been tested, with an expected range of 800 km.
If the BrahMos-ER achieves the 800 km range, Pakistan is expected to be the most affected, as it has historically borne the brunt of BrahMos strikes. Since Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has also been issuing NOTAMs, although, in contrast to India, which issues them for missile tests, Pakistan issues them for the repair of the Rahim Yar Khan airbase, which was damaged by BrahMos impacts. Pakistan’s previous NOTAM has just expired, and another update may be expected soon, as the Rahim Yar Khan base has yet to fully recover from the strikes.
