New Delhi: India’s formidable air defence shield — built to protect the nation from enemy missiles and drone strikes — stood firm, thwarting two waves of coordinated attacks from Pakistan within 48 hours.

The strikes targeted military installations across Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan but were successfully neutralised by a layered defence system.

The first wave of attacks began late on May 7 and continued into the early hours of May 8.

Military installations in and around 15 Indian cities came under threat. However, a robust combination of air defence systems intercepted incoming missiles, while Israeli-made HARPY drones executed a swift counterstrike that reportedly disabled segments of Pakistan’s air defence network.

The second wave followed just hours later. Air raid sirens wailed across Punjab, Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir—regions that share long borders with Pakistan. A complete blackout was ordered across border towns and cities. Yet again, Indian air defences successfully repelled the assault.

India’s ‘Iron Dome’ equivalent

Sources in the Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed that a mix of anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-air missiles and an integrated counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) grid were deployed to intercept and neutralise  enemy threats.

The C-UAS grid is designed to detect, track and eliminate unmanned aerial threats, including drones and various types of missiles. Using a combination of radar and radio frequency sensors, the system identifies potential threats in real time. Once detected, the grid can deploy both kinetic and non-kinetic counter-measures, including jamming communication signals and firing                                     interceptor projectiles.

Visuals shared online showing Pakistani missiles exploding in the skies over Indian cities were largely the result of this C-UAS network in action.

This system is vital for India, given the vast and often inaccessible regions it must defend. The C-UAS allows the IAF to allocate other critical resources more strategically.

A multi-layered defence shield

India’s air defence comprises several overlapping layers, each tailored to different threat levels:

S-400 Triumf: One of India’s most advanced systems, the Russian-made S-400 can detect threats from 600 kms away and intercept them within a 400 km range. Each squadron includes a powerful radar for 360-degree tracking, interceptor missiles and a command centre. India signed a $5 billion deal in 2018  for five squadrons.

SAMAR: A short-range surface-to-air system that uses Russian-origin Vympel missiles, SAMAR was actively deployed to intercept missiles during the recent attacks. With a 12 km range, it is especially effective against low-flying threats like drones.

Akash: India’s indigenous short-to-medium-range air defence system, Akash has a 50 km operational radius and can simultaneously engage multiple targets. Its ECCM (Electronic Counter-Counter Measures) capabilities enable it to overcome enemy jamming and evasion tactics.

S-125 Pechora: A legacy system from the 1970s, Pechora missiles are still actively used to defend against drones, helicopters and even fighter aircraft.

Together, these systems form a comprehensive, multi-layered shield, backed by IAF’s frontline fighter aircraft — including the advanced, multirole, French-made Rafales.

7 terrorists shot dead

India foiled an infiltration attempt last night and killed seven terrorists in Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan Rangers were helping them infiltrate by firing across the border from Dhandhar post, said the Border Security Force (BSF).

India’s military action also caused damage to the Pakistani post.