• India’s fully indigenous, automated air defence control and reporting system, Akashteer, played a crucial role in thwarting Pakistan’s aerial attacks, intercepting and neutralising every inbound projectile during the recent military stand-off between the two countries.

• Akashteer, which is at the core of the Indian Army’s air defence (AAD) system, stopped a barrage of missiles and drones from Pakistan on the night of May 9 and 10, acting like an invisible shield.

• Manufactured by state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Akashteer was inducted into the Indian Army around a year ago.

• While Pakistan relied on imported HQ-9 and HQ-16 systems that failed to detect and intercept Indian strikes, Akashteer showcased India’s dominance in real-time, automated air defence warfare.

• Akashteer is part of the broader C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) framework, working in coordination with other systems. 

• Akashteer is about intelligent warfare. The system provides a common, real-time air picture to all involved parties (control room, radars and Defence Gun), enabling coordinated air defence operations. 

• It is a system designed to automatically detect tracking and engagement of enemy aircraft, drones and missiles. It integrates various radar systems, sensors and communication technologies into a single operational framework. 

• Akashteer gathers data from various sources, processes it and allows for automated, real-time engagement decisions.

• Unlike traditional air defence models that rely on ground-based radars and manual decisions, Akashteer enables autonomous monitoring of low-level airspace in battle zones and efficient control of Ground-Based Air Defence Weapon Systems.

• Integrated with sensors like Tactical Control Radar (Reporter), stand-alone medium range all weather Surveillance Radar 3D TCR, Low-Level Lightweight Radar and the radar of Akash Weapon System, Akashteer offers a common, real-time air picture to the security forces on the ground and in the control rooms, enabling coordinated air defense operations.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)