Mission Sudarshan Chakra

India has launched Mission Sudarshan Chakra, an ambitious national programme aimed at building a comprehensive, multi-layered air defence shield to counter emerging aerial threats, particularly hostile drones. The initiative marks a strategic shift in India’s defence posture. It recognises that unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are reshaping the character of modern warfare. This is especially true along sensitive borders with Pakistan and other adversarial fronts.

Mission Sudarshan Chakra is India’s national programme to build a multi-layered air defence shield integrating counter-drone systems, electronic warfare and directed energy weapons to address emerging aerial threats.

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Rising Drone Threats: Strategic Context

Unmanned aerial vehicles have emerged as low-cost but high-impact asymmetric tools used for:

• Surveillance and reconnaissance
• Smuggling of arms, drugs, and explosives
• Precision strikes on military and civilian infrastructure

Recent global and regional developments highlight this threat:

• Operation Sindoor witnessed attempts by Pakistan to employ drones for cross-border activities.
• The Russia–Ukraine conflict demonstrated large-scale drone warfare, where inexpensive drones inflicted disproportionate damage on high-value targets.
• Indian security agencies have reported a sharp rise in drone-based espionage and infiltration attempts, particularly along the western border.

These trends highlight the inadequacy of conventional air defence systems alone. They create the need for a dedicated counter-drone and layered air defence architecture.

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Mission Sudarshan Chakra: Objectives and Scope

Mission Sudarshan Chakra aims to create an integrated air defence shield capable of countering:

• Fighter aircraft
• Cruise and ballistic missiles
• Unmanned aerial systems (drones and loitering munitions)

Key Features:

• Target completion timeline: 2035
• Layered defence approach: Long-range, medium-range, short-range, and point-defence systems
• Integration with existing networks, especially the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS)

The mission reflects India’s shift from platform-centric defence to a network-centric, threat-agnostic air defence doctrine.

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Joint Counter Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid

Complementing Mission Sudarshan Chakra, the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force are jointly developing a Joint Counter Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) grid, focused exclusively on neutralising drone threats.

Salient Features:

• Integration of sensors, radars, command centres, and response units across all three services
• Coverage across land borders, coastlines, and strategic installations
• Establishment of Joint Air Defence Centres as the operational backbone

Significance:

• Enables real-time data sharing
• Faster threat identification and classification
• Coordinated tri-service response to drone incursions

This jointness aligns with India’s broader push towards integrated theatre commands and enhanced inter-service synergy.

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Soft-Kill and Hard-Kill Countermeasures

India’s counter-drone framework under Sudarshan Chakra and the Joint CUAS grid employs a dual approach:

1. Soft-Kill Measures

Aim to neutralise drones without physical destruction:

• Electronic warfare (EW) systems
• Communication link disruption
• GNSS/GPS jamming
• Spoofing and cyber techniques

2. Hard-Kill Measures

Physically destroy hostile drones:

• Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs)
• Laser-based systems
• Point-defence guns and kinetic interceptors

This layered combination ensures cost-effective, scalable, and flexible responses to diverse drone threats.

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Strategic Significance for India

• Enhances border security and protection of critical infrastructure
• Addresses asymmetric warfare challenges posed by state and non-state actors
• Strengthens India’s deterrence posture against technologically enabled adversaries
• Positions India alongside advanced militaries adopting AI-enabled, networked air defence systems

Conclusion

Mission Sudarshan Chakra marks a decisive step in strengthening India air defence system at a time when drone warfare has emerged as a serious drone threat to national security. By focusing on a multi layered air defence system, India is responding to the realities of counter drone strategy India must adopt in an era of asymmetric and technology-driven conflicts. The integration of the Joint CUAS grid and the Counter Unmanned Aerial System grid India framework ensures seamless coordination among the armed forces, reinforcing India’s overall defence preparedness.

The programme’s emphasis on advanced technologies such as electronic warfare, EW systems, soft kill and hard kill counter drone measures, and directed energy weapons India—including laser weapons—highlights the shift towards cost-effective and scalable solutions. When combined with the Integrated Air Command and Control System, these capabilities enable real-time threat detection and response, addressing challenges posed by unmanned aerial systems across borders and strategic installations.

From an exam perspective, Mission Sudarshan Chakra current affairs UPSC is significant as it links air defence modernisation, drone warfare and India’s defence preparedness, and emerging military technologies. Overall, Mission Sudarshan Chakra and the CUAS grid together represent a future-ready architecture that enhances India’s deterrence posture and secures its airspace against evolving aerial threats.

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Mains Value Addition (GS Paper III – Defence & Security)

Mission Sudarshan Chakra represents India’s transition from traditional air defence to an integrated, technology-driven aerial security architecture, reflecting lessons drawn from contemporary conflicts and the growing prominence of unmanned warfare.