How Indian Defences Protected Nation, Shot Down Pak Missiles, Drones

India's 'impregnable' air defence wall - to protect the country from enemy missile and drone strikes - stood steadfast this week against two waves of attacks from Pakistan in less than 48 hours, knocking down projectiles targeting military installations in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan.

The first wave began late May 7 night (hours after India's Operation Sindoor eliminated nine terror camps in Pak and Pak-occupied Kashmir) and rolled over into the early hours of May 8.

Military facilities in or near 15 Indian cities were targeted. But a combination of air defences intercepted the missiles and Israeli-made HARPY drones delivered a counterattack disabling Pak's air defences.

The second wave was launched hours later.

Air raid sirens sounded across cities in Punjab and Rajasthan, which share long boundaries with Pakistan, and across J&K too. A complete blackout of border towns and cities was ordered.

READ | India Foils Pak Attack On Military Bases, Blackouts In Border Areas

But, once again, Indian air defences repulsed the attack.

India's 'Iron Dome'

Sources said the Indian Air Force used a combination of anti-aircraft guns and surface-to-air missiles, as well as an integrated counter-UAS grid to defeat the enemy weapons.

NDTV breaks down what this means.

The integrated counter-UAS grid - to counter unmanned aircraft systems - neutralises drones and incoming aerial threats, which includes various missiles that may be fired by Pak.

The grid uses multiple technologies, including radar and radio frequency sensors, to locate, identify, and track potential airspace threats. When a threat is identified the system can deploy a number of countermeasures, including non-explosive ones like jamming radio signals.

The system can also fire an interceptor projectile; in visuals online of Pak missiles exploding in the night sky over Indian cities this week, many of those were shot down by the C-UAS grid.

India currently has three squadrons of the Russian-made S-400 missile defence system (File).

This grid is particularly important for India given the vast amount of territory, much of which is not easily accessible, the Air Force has to defend against aerial threats. A fully-functioning C-UAS grid allows the Indian armed forces to deploy other resources more strategically.

The C-UAS is the overall shield that defends the country from aerial threats, and there are several layers to this shield, both for different kinds of missiles and to ensure adequate cover.

One layer is the S-400 missile defence system that can track incoming threats from 600km away, and can intercept threats within a 400km-range; that range makes it a potent system.

It is, arguably, one of the country's most important air defence systems.

READ | All About S-400 Defence System India Used To Neutralise Pak Missiles

An S-400 squadron has three components - a powerful radar for 360-degree tracking, missiles to intercept, and a command centre, and can also engage almost any modern warplane.

In October 2018, India signed a $5 billion deal with Russia to buy five squadrons.

Another layer is SAMAR - a short-range, surface-to-air defence system that was used to great effect last night to deflect and intercept Pak missiles. It uses Russian-origin Vympel missiles.

It has a range of 12km meaning it can take on low-flying aerial targets, especially drones.

Indian forces used a variety of other powerful air defence units to deal with threats at different ranges, including the Akash, an indigenous short-medium range measure effective within 50km.

NDTV Explains | Why Homegrown Akash Missile System Is India's Iron Dome

Like Israel's 'Iron Dome', the Akash system can engage multiple targets simultaneously. It also has built-in electronic counter-counter measures (ECCM) features that help its missile punch through enemy jamming and other methods of evasion.

The Akashh is a short-range surface-to-air missile (File).

Another option in this range is the S-125 Pechora - surface-to-air missiles also of Russian-origin, and which can engage various targets, including drones and helicopters, and even fighter jets.

The Pechora was inducted into the Indian military in the 1970s, making it a legacy system, like the Vympel missiles the SAMAR system uses, but one that is still very effective,

All of these systems work together to keep India safe from aerial threats, and are backed by the Air Force's fighter jets, including the advanced, multirole, French-made Rafales.

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