Context: India’s Air Defence Systems have been instrumental in thwarting Pakistani aerial attacks along the western border, amid the ongoing India-Pakistan face-off. Controlling the skies is of paramount importance in modern warfare, and thus air defence systems are vital.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims & Mains: India’s Air Defence Systems: Types and Working.
What is the Air Defence System?
- The primary objective of Air Defence Systems is to eliminate threats from the sky- be it enemy fighter aircraft, unmanned drones, or missiles. A capable and operational air defence system offers protection against enemy air strikes.
- This is done with the help of a complex system of radar, control centres, defensive fighter aircraft, and ground-based air defence missile, artillery, and electronic warfare systems.
How do Air Defence Systems work?
An air defence system can be sub-categorised into three interlinked operations.
1. Detection:
- The ability to detect threats in the first place, is the key to the success of any air defence system. This is typically done by radar. In some cases, such as an enemy launching an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), satellites may be used for detection.
- Radar sends out beams of electromagnetic radio waves through a transmitter. These waves are reflected by the objects that they hit (such as an enemy aircraft). A receiver then collects the returning radio waves. Based on which, the radar is able to interfere with the distance of the threat, its speed, and its specific nature (what kind of aircraft/ missile).
2. Tracking:
- The efficiency of an air defence system is also determined by its ability to constantly and accurately track an aerial threat. This is typically done using a combination of radar and other sensors such as infrared cameras or laser rangefinders.
- The air defence system has to identify and track multiple, fast-moving threats in complex and cluttered environments, which may also include friendly aircraft.
- The accuracy of tracking is crucial for effectively neutralising the enemy without targeting false threats.
3. Interception:
- Once the threat has been detected and tracked, it must be neutralised. The specifics of the threat, i.e., its range, type (what kind of missile/ aircraft), speed, etc., determine the ways in which air defences work.
All these three aspects of an air defence system have to work together as a whole. This is called C3 or a “command, control and communication” system in military parlance.
To establish air superiority over enemy territory, the enemy’s air defence systems have to be neutralised. Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) operations target enemy air defences with missiles, EW, bombs, UAVs or even ground attacks.
How are Targets Intercepted?
Depending on the challenges they foresee, nations utilise a wide assortment of weapons to neutralise aerial threats. These include the following:
1. Fighter Aircraft:
- Interceptors are fighters that take on attacking enemy aircraft, especially bombers. These agile aircraft can be scrambled at a moment’s notice, and they climb quickly to altitude and neutralise an enemy aircraft before it deploys its weapons.
- Interceptors are equipped for air-to-air combat with cannon, rockets, a suite of visual-range and beyond-visual-range missiles, and electronic warfare systems.
- Aircraft such as MiG-21 (an upgraded variant of which is still in service with the Indian Air Force) were dedicated interceptors; latest fighter aircraft have multirole capabilities.
- India can deploy Sukhoi Su-35s, MiG-29s, HAL Tejas, Mig-21 Bisons, and Dassault Rafales for interceptor missions.
2. Surface-To-Air Missiles (SAMs):
- SAMs can be used to target enemy fighters, helicopters, and missiles. They are generally radar-guided, infrared-guided, or laser-guided.
- In addition to being operated from the ground, SAMs can also be launched from ships. The three unofficial classes of SAMs are:
- Heavy long-range systems which are fixed or semi-mobile
- Medium-range vehicle-mounted systems that can fire on the move
- Short-range man-portable air-defense systems (or MANPADS).
- India’s arsenal of SAMs include: indigenously-developed medium-range Akash missiles, the medium-to-long range Barak missiles, and the long-range S-400 missiles.
Types of SAMs: Each SAM class has a different function:
- Heaviest SAMs: Russian-made S-400 system used by India take on enemy ballistic missiles or aircraft at long range of up to 400 kilometres.
- Medium range SAMs have the capability to hit targets in the 50-100 km range but are more mobile, and can be launched in next-to-no time. E.g., Akash Missile System; Akash-NG (New Generation); Barak-8.
- MANPADS are used for low-lying targets such as hovering helicopters or drones, or fixed-wing aircraft engaged in ground attack roles. These are far more cost-effective than the other classes, and are also used by non-state actors in unconventional warfare.
3. Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA):
- Augmented with automated fire-control systems, they remain crucial last-ditch defences, and are also used for specialised anti-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) roles.
- AAA fire shells rapidly, at rates of over 1,000 rounds per minute. AAA shells are designed to explode at pre-determined altitudes so as to disperse shrapnel over a wide area. This makes an AAA battery effective even if it does not achieve a direct hit.
4. Electronic Warfare (EW):
- EW systems are designed to disrupt, deceive, or destroy threats using the power of the electromagnetic spectrum.
- EW is most often used to jam enemy radar and targeting systems, so as to impede its ability to accurately and effectively deploy its weapon. EW can confuse attack drones or prevent enemy air-to-surface missiles from homing in on targets.
- E.g.,
- DRDO’s Netra AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning & Control).
- DRDO’s Advanced Electronic Warfare Suite 'Shakti' for Indian Naval Ships.
Also Read: S-400 Missile System: India's Sudarshan Chakra
Establishing air superiority allows an Air Force to operate with a degree of impunity, and without fear of attrition in bombing, tactical air support, paratroop insertion, or supply-drop missions.