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When Pakistan launched its most coordinated aerial offensive against India in decades—unleashing waves of drones, missiles, and loitering munitions across the Line of Control—what met them was not just resistance but an impenetrable digital shield. It was India’s indigenous, AI-powered air defence system, Akashteer, that turned the tide of Operation Sindoor.
Over the course of a single night, Indian forces executed precision strikes on 13 key Pakistani targets, including eight strategic airbases, all while neutralizing Pakistan’s incoming airborne threats without a single hostile crossing into Indian airspace. Experts around the world are now asking: How did India manage such speed, accuracy, and coordination? The answer, increasingly, is one word: Akashteer.
India’s AI-Powered “Iron Dome”
It is a fully autonomous, AI-driven C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) platform. Akashteer was built to unify radar, sensor, communication, and air defence systems into one seamless combat cloud. But what sets it apart is more than integration—it’s the intelligence that drives it.
Unlike conventional systems reliant on human operators and command chains, Akashteer sees, decides, and acts autonomously. It tracks low-altitude threats like drones and micro-UAVs, reroutes friendly assets, and initiates interception without delay—all while preventing fratricide through real-time blue-force tracking.
“Akashteer is not just air defence—it’s an AI warfighter,” said a senior Indian Army official involved in its deployment.
Pakistan’s Defence Overwhelmed
While Akashteer’s real-time battlefield intelligence powered India’s response, Pakistan’s defence infrastructure—relying on Chinese HQ-9 and HQ-16 systems—failed to detect or intercept Indian projectiles in time. Their ground radar networks, even those supported by US-supplied AWACS, were reportedly paralyzed during the counterstrikes.
“Akashteer-coordinated drone swarms penetrated deep into command zones, undetected,” noted a retired IAF officer. “We’re seeing a new model of warfare—one driven by autonomy, not attrition.”
Born in India, Battle-Tested in War
What makes Akashteer exceptional is that it is 100% indigenous, developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) with no foreign components or satellite dependencies. In a post on ‘X’ dated May 14, BEL confirmed:
“Akashteer has proved its mettle in the war-field… Ground-based defence systems integrated with Akashteer made it hell for Pakistan’s air adventures.”
The first batch of vehicle-mounted Akashteer Control Centres was flagged off from BEL’s Ghaziabad facility in April 2024. Since then, around 50% of units have been inducted, with a full deployment goal of 455 systems by 2027.
BEL is proud to announce that our in-house designed & manufactured Air Defence System, Akashteer, has proved its mettle in the war-field. Ground-based Defence Systems integrated with Akashteer made it hell for Pakistan's air adventures. @DefenceMinIndia pic.twitter.com/e6eO0bftp4
— Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) (@BEL_CorpCom) May 14, 2025
Key Features That Changed the Game
- Unified Air Picture: Akashteer integrates radars from Army and IAF, giving even frontline AD units a real-time view of friendly and hostile movements.
- Combat Autonomy: It eliminates the need for manual data inputs or centralised command delays—enabling instant threat recognition and engagement.
- Decentralised Targeting: Field units have the authority to engage based on dynamic battlefield data—critical for fast-moving threats.
- Stealth Interception: Capable of tracking and neutralizing drones without active radar, using passive sensors, satellite feeds, and AI decision-making.
- Scalable and Mobile: Its vehicle-based architecture enables deployment across high-altitude, border, and remote zones with communication redundancy.
A key Army official called it “a transformative milestone in India’s path toward military modernisation.”
Strategic Shift: From Defensive to Dominant
Akashteer’s success is not just technological—it signals a doctrinal pivot. India’s traditional air defence was reactive. Akashteer enables proactive retaliation, real-time counterstrikes, and digital warfare superiority.
During Operation Sindoor, India demonstrated for the first time that it could integrate drone swarms, AI battle intelligence, and satellite reconnaissance into a unified strike system—a feat only a few NATO states attempted.
“This is beyond anything we’ve seen,” said one Pakistani defence analyst. “We weren’t just outgunned—we were outthought.”
Looking Ahead
With full-scale deployment expected by March 2027, Akashteer will eventually form the backbone of India’s future-ready air defence, especially across the sensitive Northern and Eastern Commands.
In November 2024, during system validation trials, senior Army leaders had already termed Akashteer a “game-changer”—and Operation Sindoor has now proven that prophecy correct.
A Seismic Shift in Warfare
Akashteer has ushered in a new era where the battlefield is no longer defined by manpower or munitions but by machines that think. In the words of a defence expert:
“Akashteer is not a shield. It’s a sword made of code.”
As India moves to scale this system across its military formations, one thing is clear: The future of air defence is autonomous, indigenous, and already operational.
Ravi Shankar
Dr Ravi Shankar has over two decades of experience in communications, print journalism, electronic media, documentary film making and new media.
He makes regular appearances on national television news channels as a commentator and analyst on current and political affairs. Apart from being an acknowledged Journalist, he has been a passionate newsroom manager bringing a wide range of journalistic experience from past associations with India’s leading media conglomerates (Times of India group and India Today group) and had led global news-gathering operations at world’s biggest multimedia news agency- ANI-Reuters. He has covered Parliament extensively over the past several years. Widely traveled, he has covered several summits as part of media delegation accompanying the Indian President, Vice President, Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and Finance Minister across Asia, Africa and Europe.
