Amit's Blog

Akash: India's Sky Shield Soars – Capabilities, Evolution, and Global Ambitions Towards 2030   India's indigenous Akash missile system stands as a testament to the nation's burgeoning self-reliance in defence. Born from decades of dedicated research and development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Akash has matured into a formidable medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) system. Its operational prowess was definitively proven during the recent Operation Sindhur, where it successfully intercepted multiple aerial threats, including sophisticated Chinese-designed missiles and drones. This battlefield success has not only bolstered India's strategic confidence but also positioned Akash as a sought-after system on the global defense market. With significant upgrades like Akash-NG on the horizon and an aggressive export strategy, India aims to solidify its standing as a major defense technology exporter by 2030, reinforcing the 'Atmani...

Pakistan’s Air Defense Fiasco: Lessons from Operation Sindoor and India’s Path Ahead Pakistan’s air defense network, a hodgepodge of Chinese knock-offs, aging Western relics, and half-baked indigenous systems, crumbled spectacularly during India’s Operation Sindoor in May 2025. Interoperability issues, born of mismatched Chinese and Western tech, left Pakistan’s skies wide open to India’s stealthy SCALP missiles and Harop drones. Financial woes—$340 billion GDP, $7–8 billion defense budget, and a $30 billion Chinese debt—forced reliance on downgraded systems like the HQ-9P, while India’s $80–90 billion war chest powered a seamless Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS). China’s export strategy, keeping Pakistan on a tight leash, and inadequate training sealed the deal. This blog dissects Pakistan’s air defense debacle, contrasts it with India’s diversified prowess, and dives deep into what India must watch to stay ahead. With expert insights and a dash of irony, it’s a tal...

India’s Integrated Air Defense and Surveillance Ecosystem: An Analysis with Comparisons to Israel and China India’s air defense and surveillance ecosystem, centered on the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), integrates ground-based radars (e.g., Swordfish, Arudhra), Airborne Early Warning and Control (Netra AEW&C), AWACS (Phalcon), satellites (RISAT, GSAT), and emerging High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) like ApusNeo. Managed by DRDO, BEL, and ISRO, it uses GaN-based radars, SATCOM, and software-defined radios for real-time threat detection and response. The IACCS fuses data via AFNET, supporting network-centric warfare. Compared to Israel’s compact, advanced C4I systems and China’s vast IADS with 30 AWACS, India’s six AWACS/AEW&C and indigenous focus lag in scale but excel in operational experience (e.g., Balakot 2019). Future plans include Netra Mk-1A/Mk-2, AWACS-India, and HAPS by 2030. Challenges include delays, limited fleet size, and foreign platform d...

Akashteer: India’s Indigenous Air Defense Command-and-Control System Imagine a high-tech shield protecting India’s skies, coordinating satellites, radars, and missiles to zap threats like drones or missiles in the blink of an eye. That’s Akashteer, India’s homegrown air defense command-and-control system, often compared to Israel’s Iron Dome but with its own unique flavor. In this report, we’ll dive deep into how Akashteer works, who builds it, what hardware powers it, how much India’s invested, and what’s next for this cutting-edge system. We’ll also peek at how it stacks up against global heavyweights like Israel, China, and Russia in an appendix. Let’s get started! Abstract Akashteer, India’s indigenous air defense command-and-control system, represents a leap in self-reliant defense technology under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Designed to counter diverse aerial threats like drones and missiles, it integrates radars (e.g., 3D TCR, LLLR), ISRO satellites...