Indigenous SAKSHAM Counter-UAS Grid System to fortify India’s air defence

Months after Operation Sindoor showcased India’s drone-defence capabilities, the Army has begun procuring the indigenously developed ‘SAKSHAM’ Counter-UAS Grid System, designed by BEL to detect, track, and neutralise hostile drones in real time across the Tactical Battlefield Space

New Delhi: Nearly five months after Operation Sindoor showed the prowess of the Indian security apparatus, including in the domain of neutralising nearly 400 drones fired by Pakistan to target Indian defence structures and civilian areas, the Indian Army has now initiated the procurement of an indigenously developed ‘SAKSHAM’ Counter Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid System.

According to defence officials, the system is designed to “detect, track, identify, and neutralise hostile drones and unmanned aerial systems in real time, ensuring complete airspace security across what is now defined as the Tactical Battlefield Space (TBS), an expanded domain that includes the Air Littoral, the airspace up to 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) above the ground.”

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It is pertinent to note here that the necessity for a comprehensive counter-UAS framework emerged prominently during Operation Sindoor, where hostile UAS activity highlighted the need for “swift detection, coordinated response, and airspace control beyond traditional ground limits”.

“The Indian Army has since evolved its operational concept from the earlier Tactical Battle Area (TBA) to the more inclusive Tactical Battlefield Space (TBS), recognising that future wars will be fought not just on land but also in the air littoral directly above it,” said an official.

This new approach ensures that the airspace up to 3,000 metres above the ground, the Air Littoral, remains under the control of ground forces, allowing unrestricted movement for friendly aerial assets while detecting, tracking, and neutralising hostile drones or aircraft.

Notably, in the domain of modern warfare, particularly the Russia-Ukraine war, Israel-Palestine, Israel-Iran conflict and also seen during the operation Sindoor, wherein Pakistan fired nearly 400 drones (which were all neutralised by the security forces), modern conflicts have increasingly involved drones for surveillance and attacks.

Conceived as a high-end, modular Command and Control System, SAKSHAM, short for Situational Awareness for Kinetic Soft and Hard Kill Assets Management, has been developed in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Ghaziabad.

Saksham aims to provide integrated situational awareness for counter-UAS management through an effective CUAS network grid across the Tactical Battlefield Space.

It also aims to “integrate own and enemy UAS data, CUAS sensors, and soft/hardkill systems on a common GIS-based platform.”

Similarly, it will enable automated decision support and real-time visualisation for field commanders and will offer a modular, scalable, and flexible architecture, adaptable to evolving UAS threats.

Amongst its key capabilities, it includes AI-enabled threat analysis for predictive identification and faster decision-making.

The system is fully indigenous, embodying the government’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in defence technology.

Designed and developed by BEL, the system incorporates AI-driven fusion technologies for future combat systems, enabling scalability and upgradation as threat environments evolve.

To ensure speedy induction, the project has been approved under the Fast Track Procurement (FTP) route, with rollout to all field formations targeted within the next year.