The Indian Army has begun the procurement of an indigenously developed counter-drone system known as Saksham, following lessons learned from Operation Sindoor earlier this year. During that operation, Indian forces reported neutralizing nearly 400 drones launched from Pakistan to target defense sites and civilian areas.
Defense officials said the Saksham Counter-UAS Grid is designed to detect, track, identify and neutralize hostile drones in real time across what the Army now defines as the “Tactical Battlefield Space.” This expanded concept of operations extends beyond the traditional battlefield to include the “air littoral,” or the airspace up to 3,000 meters above ground level.
An Army official noted that the shift from the older “Tactical Battle Area” model to the broader Tactical Battlefield Space reflects the increasing role of drones in modern conflict.
“Future wars will be fought not just on land but also in the air littoral directly above it,” the official said.
The Saksham system was developed in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and is intended to integrate a network of sensors, soft-kill and hard-kill countermeasures and situational awareness tools on a GIS-based platform. Its modular, scalable design includes artificial intelligence-enabled threat analysis to support faster decision-making and predictive identification of drone activity.
Officials said the system aims to give field commanders automated decision support and a common operational picture, helping to coordinate responses to drone incursions. The program has been approved under India’s Fast Track Procurement route, with deployment to field units expected within the next year.
The push to field a counter-drone grid system follows a wider global trend, with conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East showing the expanding role of drones in surveillance and attack missions.
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