NEWS

• The Indian Army is enhancing its air defence (AD) network along northern and western borders following breaches by Pakistani drones during Operation Sindoor.
• Modern warfare increasingly involves Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and low radar cross-section (RCS) aerial threats, necessitating advanced radar capabilities.

HIGHLIGHTS

What Are Air Defence Radars?

• Radar: Radio Detection And Ranging, detects direction, distance, and velocity of targets.
• Components: Transmitter (emits radio waves) and receiver (collects reflected signals).
• Types:
  • Surveillance Radars: Monitor airspace, identify threats.
  • Fire Control Radars: Guide weapons like surface-to-air missiles to target aerial threats.
• Function in Army & IAF:
  • IAF controls high/medium power radars for high-altitude targets.
  • Army uses Low Level Light Weight Radars (LLLRs) for low-altitude, low-RCS objects like drones.

Recent Procurement & Capabilities

• The Army plans to procure:
  • 45 LLLR (Enhanced)
  • 48 Air Defence Fire Control Radar-Drone Detectors (ADFCR-DD)
  • 10 LLLR (Improved)
• Capabilities: Detect, track, classify, and prioritize aerial threats, including drone swarms, and transmit targeting data up to 10 km.
• Existing AD infrastructure includes Akash missile system, S-400, and the IAF’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS).

Drone Training and Mission Sudarshan Chakra

• 19 drone training centers to be set up at premier Army academies.
• Training involves nano, micro, small, and medium drones for piloting, surveillance, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance), and mission planning.
• All soldiers expected to be drone-trained by 2027.

Strategic Implications

• Modern warfare prioritizes networked operations, AI-enabled decision-making, and autonomous platforms.
• Artillery, air defence, sappers, infantry, and armoured corps are being reshaped to operate in a high-tech, drone-dominated battlefield.