India’s indigenously-developed Akashteer air defence control and reporting system played a pivotal role in neutralising waves of Pakistani aerial attacks including drones and missiles during the four-day military confrontation with Pakistan.
While Pakistan relied on imported HQ-9 and HQ-16 systems that failed to intercept Indian strikes, Akashteer showcased India’s dominance in automated air defence, the defence ministry said on Friday.
Manufactured by state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Akashteer was inducted into the Indian Army around a year ago.
“In the dark skies, a new kind of warrior awakened. It did not roar like a fighter jet or flash like a missile. It listened. It calculated. It struck,” the defence ministry said.
“This invisible shield, Akashteer, is no longer a concept confined to defence journals. It is the sharp edge of India’s air defence, the unseen wall that stopped a barrage of missiles and drones on the night of May 9 and 10, when Pakistan launched its deadliest attack on Indian military and civilian areas,” it said.
Under Operation Sindoor, India carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure early on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10.
The Pakistani attempts were strongly responded to by the Indian side by inflicting heavy damages to a number of key Pakistani military installations including air bases, air defence systems, command and control centres and radar sites.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on May 10 announced that India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with immediate effect.
In sharing the role played by Akashteer, the defence ministry said it is India’s fully indigenous, automated air defence control and reporting system, that intercepted and neutralised every inbound projectile.
“Akashteer has demonstrated that it sees, decides, and strikes faster than anything the world has fielded,” the ministry said in a statement.
Explaining the air defence system’s features, the system reduces the possibility of friendly fire, allowing rapid engagement of hostile targets while ensuring the protection of aircraft in contested airspace.
“Akashteer is not about brute force, it is about intelligent warfare. The system provides a common, real-time air picture to all involved parties (control room, radars and Defence Gun), enabling coordinated air defense operations,” the ministry said.
“It is a system designed to automate detection, tracking and engagement of enemy aircraft, drones and missiles,” it added.
The ministry said the air defence system integrates various radar systems, sensors and communication technologies into a single operational framework.
Akashteer gathers data from multiple sources, processes it and allows for automated, real-time engagement decisions, it added.
The air defence system is part of the broader C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) framework, working in coordination with other systems.
It is vehicle-based which makes it mobile and easier to handle in hostile environments.
“Unlike traditional air defence models that rely on ground-based radars and manual decisions, Akashteer enables autonomous monitoring of low-level airspace in battle zones and efficient control of ground-based air defence weapon systems,” the ministry said.
“This marks a clear shift in India’s strategic principle- from passive defence to proactive retaliation. Its seamless integration with India’s larger C4ISR ecosystem allows the Army, Navy and Air Force to operate with unmatched synergy,” it added.
