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Modi sets 10-year deadline for key military capability under Mission Sudarshan Chakra
PM Modi said Pakistan fired countless missiles and drones at Indian military and civilian installations during the May 7-10 clash but it could not cause any damage
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced the creation of a formidable military capability to defend India’s military and civilian installations against aerial attacks and set a 10-year deadline for developing an indigenous air defence shield integrated with offensive weapons under Mission Sudarshan Chakra.
“The country will launch Mission Sudarshan Chakra. It will be a powerful weapon system that will not only neutralise the enemy’s attack but also hit back with overwhelming force,” Modi said in his customary Independence Day address that put the spotlight on achieving self-reliance in a raft of sectors ranging from defence to energy and critical minerals to fertilisers.
The fully indigenous capability will be in place by 2035, he said.
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“In the next 10 years, by 2035, I want to expand, strengthen and modernise this national security shield. Drawing inspiration from Lord Shri Krishna, we have chosen the path of Sudarshan Chakra,” Modi said, recounting the role of the weapon in the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
In his 103-minute address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, PM Modi summarised the salient features of the military capability in the works.
“The research and development, and manufacturing of this modern system will be done in the country, leveraging the talent of our youth. It will be made by the people of our country. It will factor in future scenarios. The weapon will be able to target with precision, like the Sudarshan Chakra.”
Modi touched upon the changing nature of warfare and the need to protect the country and its citizens.
“This security shield will be continuously expanded. Every citizen must feel safe. No matter what technology is used to attack us; our technology must prove better than that. I pledge to take this mission forward,” the PM said.
India, he said, showcased its technological prowess in Operation Sindoor, New Delhi’s direct military action following the April 22 Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were killed.
He said Pakistan fired countless missiles and drones at Indian military and civilian installations during the May 7-10 clash but it could not cause any damage. Pakistan couldn’t punch through India’s air defence shield despite launching wave after wave of missiles and drones targeting Indian military installations, airbases and cities during the four-day military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
In one of the counterstrikes on the night of May 7-8, Islamabad launched aerial attacks using drones and missiles at multiple towns and cities, including Awantipora, Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Pathankot, Phalodi, Suratgarh, Uttarlai, Nal and Bhuj. India’s air defence shield fended off the attacks.
“The efforts made during the last 10 years to secure the country yielded results. It was because of that strength that every attack was neutralised by our bravehearts who leveraged technology. The use of technology is expanding on the battlefield. The technological expertise that we have achieved needs to be expanded and upgraded. I have taken a resolve to implement Mission Sudarshan Chakra and I need the blessings of our countrymen for this,” Modi said.
A locally developed air defence control and reporting system, called Akashteer, emerged as the centrepiece of India’s air defence grid during the clash with Pakistan involving fighter jets, missiles, armed drones and artillery. It thwarted multiple waves of Pakistani aerial attacks by ensuring the prompt detection and targeting of incoming threats.
The agile system, an integral part of the Indian military’s multi-layered air defence grid, played a vital role in detecting, identifying, tracking and engaging Pakistani missiles and drones during the clash that stoked fears of a full-blown shooting war. It is integrated with the Indian Air Force’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), the beating heart of the military’s resilient, four-tiered air defence shield.
