Operation Sindoor, a swift and calibrated punitive air and ground campaign by the Indian military targeting terrorist infrastructure across the Line of Control (LoC) and the IB, marked the first real-world combat test of India’s integrated air defence ecosystem where indigenously developed systems, not imports, formed the backbone of national defence. As Pakistan reacted with an intense and synchronized aerial offensives in the region’s modern history, deploying a mix of armed UAVs, low-RCS cruise missiles, standoff glide bombs, and rocket artillery salvos, the Indian military’s multi-tiered, indigenous air defence shield was activated under wartime conditions. Systems like Akash SAMs, Akashteer, and the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) formed a defensive “trinity” that operated autonomously and in synchrony.

Within the 96-hour window, India achieved an unprecedented 100% intercept success rate across all attempted aerial incursions. This feat was made possible due to seamless integration, real-time threat classification and automated engagement protocols executed with surgical precision by AI-augmented domestic systems. The Akashteer grid, backed by real-time data from IACCS and fed into centralised control via the Joint Air Defence Centre (JADC), was the operational keystone.

IACCS, the Brain of India’s Air Defence

The Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) is India’s most significant net-centric warfare enabler. Conceptualised by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and executed with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), IACCS functions as a command–control–communications–computers–intelligence (C4I) backbone that fuses sensor and shooter nodes in real time. Built upon the Air Force Network (AFNET) and powered by hardened, encrypted data links, IACCS integrates inputs from the following:-

• Ground and airborne radar networks,
• Akashteer field units,
• Naval maritime radar feeds,
• Civilian ATC radars.

This integration creates a Recognised Air Situation Picture (RASP) with national coverage, enabling near-instantaneous decision support for both defensive and offensive air operations. During Operation Sindoor, IACCS was the primary decision-making node, allocating threats, suggesting optimal interceptors, and enabling automated weapons release permissions across joint-service networks, functionality that was battle-proven for the first time.

Akashteer – Indigenous Battlefield Steelwork

Inducted into service in April 2024, Akashteer is a fully indigenous Automated Air Defence Control and Reporting System (ADC&RS) built for the Indian Army.  By early 2025, over 100 out of a planned 455 mobile units were operationally deployed across multiple forward commands. Unlike traditional static systems, Akashteer is mounted on ruggedized 8×8 and 4×4 wheeled vehicles, making it highly mobile and suitable for mountainous and semi-urban theatres.

During Operation Sindoor, Akashteer proved invaluable in detecting, tracking, prioritising, and neutralizing low-flying threats, especially swarm drones, suicide UAVs, and terrain-hugging cruise missiles. Each node uses multi-spectral sensors, AI-based fusion algorithms, and automated friend–foe recognition (IFF) to autonomously assign threats to available weapon systems including QRSAMs, Akash missiles, and L70/SPAAG guns.

The Indian Army credited Akashteer with a near 100% intercept record in the sectors it was deployed, describing it as India’s own “Iron Dome in the making,” tailored for land-force protection under dynamic threat envelopes.

JADC – Intersection of Army and Air Force

The Joint Air Defence Centre (JADC) is a revolutionary leap in Indian air defence architecture, ensuring jointness between Army’s Akashteer grid and IAF’s IACCS systems. Operated under the IAF’s Area Air Defence Command structure, JADC functions as a data fusion node, where live feeds from radar stations, drone detection systems, and battlefield sensors are merged into a Common Operating Picture (COP).

With AI-assisted conflict deconfliction and cross-service shoot–no shoot algorithms, JADC ensures zero redundancy and zero fratricide, optimising the allocation of finite interceptor assets. The first operational JADC site was fully functional by mid-2025, with more being scaled up across Northern, Western, and Central Commands. Its real-time collaboration with Akashteer and IACCS during Operation Sindoor represented India’s first real-world trial of joint theatre air defence, a vision long held but now materialised.

Contribution of Agniveers. Roughly 3,000 Agniveers, many under 20 years old, manned critical air defence systems during the operation. Their disciplined deployment and quick responsiveness were key to operational success.

Strategic Impact & Global Recognition

• Domestic systems outperformed imported ones. DRDO officials emphasised that India’s indigenous weapons including Akashteer, Solar’s Nagastra 1 loitering munition, MRSAM and BrahMos exceeded the capabilities of systems deployed by Pakistan, many of them sourced from China.
• Export potential is rising. Uttar Pradesh’s defence manufacturing corridor now contributes to key missile programs like Akash and BrahMos construction of systems that have been trusted and tested during Operation Sindoor.

Beyond Operation Sindoor

• India is actively developing the Kusha system, an S 400 class long range surface to air missile system with a prototype expected within 12–18 months,
• More advanced sensors (e.g. VSHORADS, long range SAM platforms), and expanded C3ISR capabilities are expected as part of future upgrades.

Conclusion. Operation Sindoor marked a historic milestone in India’s path to strategic self reliance. The Akashteer system, seamlessly integrated via IACCS, formed the backbone of India’s indigenous layered air defence, achieving a perfect intercept record under real combat conditions. This success not only validated India’s technological investments but also demonstrated its growing credibility as a global defence innovator.