E-Paper
Is Mission Sudarshan Chakra India's ballistic missile defence?
Top national security planners believe that PM has hinted towards expansion of DRDO’s Project Kusha or Extended Range Air Defence System.
Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not spell out ‘Mission Sudarshan Chakra 2035’ in details, the indications, after Pakistan unsuccessfully fired over 1000 missiles at India during Op Sindoor, are that he has announced the building of anti-ballistic missile defence and long range conventional ballistic missiles to tackle stand-off weapons of the regional and global adversaries.
PM Modi in his speech said: “India is launching Mission Sudarshan Chakra to create a powerful weapon system to thwart and attempt by enemies to attack us…..all public places will be covered by an expanded nationwide security shield by 2035.”
While work on anti-ballistic missile defence is on in the DRDO, India needs to build conventional ballistic missiles to tackle regional and global threats using land, sea and aerial platforms. As of now, the DRDO is developing 500 km range Pralay surface to surface tactical ballistic missile with a 500-1000 kilogram warhead to launch an attack both on land or sea based targets.
Top national security planners believe that PM has hinted towards expansion of DRDO’s Project Kusha or Extended Range Air Defence System, which includes development of long range surface to air missile systems with three variants of interceptors between 2028 and 2030. The Kusha Project was cleared by the CCS for development in May 2022 with missile testing to begin later this year.
The need for India to develop indigenous anti-ballistic missile defence becomes evident after Pakistan fired short-range Fatah I and Fatah II missiles towards hinterland India during Operation Sindoor. Further, Israel was only saved by its anti-missile defence after Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and armed drones towards the only Jewish nation twice in as many years.
After India wiped out nine terrorist camps in Pakistan on May 7, Pakistan launched Turkish armed drones towards India as well as Chinese ballistic missiles till no fire pact was declared on May 10 at 5.30 pm. Fact is that Pakistan also violated the no fire pact by continuing to launch armed drones and long range artillery shelling on May 10 night.
Given that new age war relies on long range stand-off weapons and ballistic missile defence, PM Modi has taken a huge but necessary step towards Mission Sudarshan Chakra.
While Pakistan has small conventional missile arsenal, India’s other adversaries have a plethora of conventional ballistic missiles and rockets that can cause havoc in Indian hinterland in case of hostilities.
