India's Air Defense System: New Generation Anti-Aircraft Missile Systems
By the number of anti-aircraft missile The Indian Armed Forces rank among the world's leaders in the development of medium- and long-range air defense systems, surpassing European NATO countries in this regard. However, a significant portion of all Indian air defense systems are Soviet-era systems acquired forty years or more ago. Due to critical wear and tear of their main components and overall obsolescence, they are slated for decommissioning within the next decade.
For a long time, India was an importer of air defense systems of all types. However, since the late 1980s, attempts have been made to develop indigenous models, albeit not always successfully. Local developers, relying on their own research and production facilities, are also repairing and modernizing the systems. Defense foreign production.
Currently, the core of India's air defense system consists of Russian, Israeli, and domestically produced air defense systems. The most advanced of these are the Russian S-400, which is directly under the command of the Central Command of the Air Force and considered a strategic reserve.
In total, the Indian Air Force has approximately forty anti-aircraft missile squadrons (divisions) equipped with various types of systems.
Anti-aircraft missile system C-400
In 2018, India signed a deal to purchase five divisions of S-400 Triumph air defense systems for $5,43 billion. According to open source information, Russia delivered four anti-aircraft systems, and the delivery of another is still pending.
The first S-400 division delivered to India was deployed near its western border with Pakistan in December 2021, and the second division was deployed a year later in the northern part of the country, near the border with China. According to local media reports, the second division's crew was initially tasked with monitoring the Ladakh sector, parts of which are disputed by China. Delivery of elements of the third S-400 division began in January 2023, and the system was intended to be deployed to deter Pakistan in Punjab or Rajasthan. There is no publicly available information on when the fourth division was delivered.
In terms of their composition, India's long-range anti-aircraft systems are generally similar to the S-400 systems operated by Russia. The main differences lie in the use of indigenous combat control equipment integrated into the national air defense/missile defense system and a jam-resistant Mk-X standard identification friend or foe system, which is due to customer preferences and certain specific technical issues.
For the timely detection of air targets and the provision of target designation, Russian radar stations 91N6E and 48Ya6 K1 "Podlet" are used.
An S-400 battalion can include up to 12 5P85SE2 self-propelled launchers. However, combat units typically have no more than eight launchers. Each towed or self-propelled launcher has four transport and launch containers with anti-aircraft missiles. The combat control and guidance systems are capable of simultaneously engaging 36 targets with 72 anti-aircraft missiles, exceeding the firepower of a standard anti-aircraft missile battalion.
According to unofficial reports, the primary missile type in the Indian S-400 system's arsenal is the 48N6DM, capable of engaging large, high-altitude targets at ranges of up to 240 kilometers. These missiles are also effective against ballistic missiles.
Indian forums also report the long-range 40N6E missile, capable of intercepting aerodynamic targets at ranges of up to 380 km. The 40N6E SAM is primarily designed to destroy AWACS aircraft, jammers, and airborne command posts. If S-400 anti-aircraft systems are deployed within 100 km of the border with neighboring countries, the use of long-range missiles makes it possible to engage targets in the airspace of other states. The 9M96E SAM, with a firing range of approximately 40 km, is designed to counter actively maneuvering air attack weapons operating at low altitudes.
[Launcher of the Indian S-400 air defense system with the 9M96E SAM
The long-range S-400 air defense missile systems, which possess some anti-missile capabilities, are a powerful deterrent for the Pakistan Air Force. It was recently announced that New Delhi plans to acquire two more S-400 battalion units and additional batches of anti-aircraft missiles, which will be the subject of high-level negotiations in the near future.
Akash inter-service anti-aircraft missile system
Another Indian long-term project was the Akash universal anti-aircraft missile system, which was supposed to replace the S-125M Pechora target air defense missile systems and the 2K12E Kvadrat military air defense missile systems.
Work on the Akash air defense system began back in 1983, and the first test launch of the missile took place in 1990. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO, an agency within the Department of Defence Research and Development, Ministry of Defence, India) was responsible for developing the system's hardware. The air detection and fire control radars, the mobile command post, and the missile launchers were developed by BEL, Tata Advanced Systems Limited, and Larsen & Toubro.
Indian specialists drew inspiration for the Akash air defense system from the Soviet-made 2K12E Kvadrat air defense system, an export version of the 2K12 Kub (NATO code SA-6 Gainful). Like the Kub-Kvadrat, the Indian system utilized a ramjet-powered SAM powered by a composite propellant (magnesium powder, nitroglycerin, and cellulose nitrate). The oxidizer was atmospheric oxygen, supplied through the air intakes.
A solid-fuel motor accelerates the missile to a speed of 500 m/s in 4,5 seconds upon launch. The missile has four aerodynamic surfaces located in the central section of the body, which function as wings and control surfaces. These surfaces are driven by pneumatic actuators and control the missile's pitch and yaw. A stabilizer with ailerons, located at the rear of the missile's body, controls the missile's roll.
The Soviet 9M9 family of SAMs, used in the Kub SAM system, used a semi-active radar guidance system that guided the missile to the reflected signal from the target. However, the first Indian missile, known as the Akash Mk 1, uses radio command guidance (as on the S-125M SAM system). The loaded missile weighs 720 kg, is 35 cm in diameter, and is 5,78 m long. It destroys the target with a 55 kg fragmentation warhead, detonated by a radar fuse. The fragmentation zone is up to 10 m. The firing range is 25 km, and the ceiling is up to 20 km. After expending its fuel at an altitude of 9,000 m, the missile reached a speed of 840 m/s. In the absence of jamming, the Akash missile has a kill probability of 0,88 against a target flying at altitudes of 500-3,000 meters at a speed of approximately 950 km/h. When launched in pairs, 5 seconds apart, the kill probability increases to 0,98.
The next modification of the Akash Mk1S SAM, tested in 2019, featured combined guidance: radio command guidance in the initial and mid-course phases, and active radar guidance in the terminal phase. The Akash Prime missile also uses command guidance in the initial phase and is equipped with an improved active radar seeker with an increased range and target acquisition sector. Its engagement range against large, high-altitude targets exceeds 30 km, and its ceiling reaches 18 km.
The Akash Mk1S SAM test launch took place on May 27, 2019.
This missile is manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited, while its subsidiary Bharat Electronics produces radars, mobile command posts, simulators, and auxiliary equipment. Air-to-air intercept trials of the Akash Prime SAM system took place in 2021. An order for serial production was placed for 2023. Development of the Akash-NG SAM system, with a firing range increased to 80 km, is currently underway. The new missile will feature a dual-mode solid-fuel motor, which will be lighter than a ramjet.
To ensure timely detection and target designation of a missile squadron consisting of four batteries, a Rohini radar with a range of up to 200 km is provided.
Rohini radar antenna post
The Rajendra multifunctional radar is used to search at a distance of up to 60 km, capture and automatically track aircraft, determine their nationality, and guide anti-aircraft missiles.
Rajendra multi-role radar for use in the Indian Air Force's Akash air defense system
Each Akash battery has one Rajendra radar, operating in the 4,5–8 GHz frequency range, linked to four launchers, each carrying three surface-to-air missiles. The Rajendra radar can guide up to two missiles to a single target, simultaneously engaging four targets, and tracking 64 objects at a range of up to 90 km. The multifunctional radar and missile launches are controlled from the battery's mobile command post. As of 2024, 32 Rajendra radars have been ordered.
The Indian Air Force is being supplied with mobile launchers on a wheeled chassis with a rotating section and three rail guides.
The towed platform houses vertical and horizontal guidance mechanisms, electrical equipment, and the apparatus for preparing and launching anti-aircraft missiles. To reduce the launcher's weight, Indian designers manufactured many structural components from aluminum alloys. A torsion bar counterbalance mechanism was installed to stabilize the rotating section.
According to information published by Indian sources, two squadrons of Akash air defense systems were introduced into trial operation in 2009. However, due to the low reliability of the first-generation surface-to-air missiles, further deployment of these systems was delayed, and their official acceptance into service occurred in 2012. The first combat deployment took place at a military base in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Akash SAMs are currently used to provide air defense coverage for strategically important installations, and most are permanently deployed near military airfields. For example, two Akash missile squadrons (battalions) are currently stationed at Gwalior Air Force Base in Madhya Pradesh, replacing the S-125M SAMs in the area.
Google Earth satellite image of an Akash air defense system at Gwalior Air Base. The image was taken in February 2024.
But unlike the 125s, the Akash missile systems are not so tied to fixed positions and are quite mobile. From time to time, missile squadrons permanently stationed at specific bases are redeployed to field positions for training purposes and during periods of threat. For example, several squadrons were redeployed closer to the border in 2025 during the latest escalation with Pakistan, and they are credited with downing several reconnaissance aircraft. dronesAs of 2024, the Indian Air Force had 15 missile squadrons, seven of which were equipped with the advanced Akash Prime SAM. A total of 125 missiles were produced for each system.
SPYDER-SR anti-aircraft missile system
After protracted negotiations, India signed an agreement with Israel in 2010 for the supply of 18 SPYDER-SR air defense systems. Implementation of the contract began in 2012. Including the purchase of 750 Python-5 and 750 Derby missiles, the total cost was approximately $1 billion.
Python-5 and Derby rockets without boosters
The SPYDER-SR air-to-air missile system utilizes air-to-air missiles equipped with additional boosters. The use of anti-aircraft missiles equipped with various types of seekers allows for sequential engagement of targets with medium- and short-range missiles.
Spyder-SR self-propelled air defense missile launcher with Python-5 and Derby missiles
Derby active radar homing surface-to-air missiles are designed to engage highly maneuverable manned and unmanned aerial vehicles at any time of day, from any direction, in the forward and rear hemispheres, against the ground, and in the presence of active electronic countermeasures. The Derby missile features a canard configuration. The launch weight of the first version was 115 kg, increased by approximately 15% in later modifications. The warhead weighs 23 kg. It is 3,62 m long, has a wingspan of 0,64 m, and can fly at speeds up to Mach 4. When launched from the Spyder-SR SAM's inclined launcher, the Derby SAM's range reaches 40 km.
Launch of the Derby missile defense system with the SPYDER-SR SAM system
The universal launcher, mounted on a three-axle, all-terrain truck chassis, is designed using a modular design. Four missiles are housed in transport and launch containers located on a rotating platform. Guidance in the horizontal and vertical planes is accomplished using hydraulic drives. When the launcher is moving, the transport and launch containers are folded horizontally. The SPU crew consists of three people. To enhance the missile system's survivability, the self-propelled launcher can be located remotely from the battery command post. Information exchange occurs via cable, fiber-optic line, or radio. During autonomous operation, the SPU crew uses the Toplite electro-optical detection system.
The anti-aircraft battery includes a mobile command post, three self-propelled launchers and transport-loading vehicles.
The command post is equipped with an Elta EL/M-2106NG three-dimensional radar, capable of detecting and tracking up to 60 targets at a range of up to 80 km. The mobile command post, which enables combat operations within the unified information space of the layered air defense system, receives target designation data from external sources.
In the Indian Air Force, the SPYDER-SR air defense system, capable of operating autonomously, is considered a mobile reserve that allows for the rapid plugging of gaps in the unified air defense system, as well as strengthening a specific area in terms of combating air attack weapons operating at low altitudes.
In the past, SPYDER-SR batteries have been deployed several times to states bordering Pakistan. On February 26, 2019, a system of this type shot down a Pakistani reconnaissance UAV on the Indo-Pakistan border in Gujarat. The following day, an Indian Mi-17 fell victim to a SPYDER-SR air defense system, killing six military personnel on board and one civilian on the ground. After a six-month investigation, the Indian Air Force confirmed that the helicopter was shot down by "friendly fire," and five military personnel were found guilty of criminal negligence and dereliction of duty.
SAMAR family of anti-aircraft missile systems
Although the Indian Air Force has approximately four dozen site-based air defense systems, given the country's size and the number of sites it needs to protect, the existing effective air defense systems are insufficient. The country's financial resources currently do not fully meet the armed forces' needs for modern air defense systems, whether through the import of foreign systems or domestic production.
In response, the Indian military sometimes takes extraordinary steps. For example, the 11th Air Force Maintenance Depot, located at Nasik Air Base in Maharashtra, which oversees the refurbishment and modernization of fighter jets, collaborated with Adtech Inventions Pvt Ltd to develop the SAMAR-1 (Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation) air defense system.
Self-propelled launcher of the SAMAR-1 air defense missile system
The SAMAR-1 SAM system uses refurbished, used R-73E short-range air-to-air missiles with heat-seeking warheads as anti-aircraft missiles. A remote-guided rail launcher with two SAMs is mounted on the chassis of an Indian-made Ashok Leyland Stallion all-terrain truck.
Testing of the improvised air defense system began in 2021, with 17 launches conducted. Following extensive test firings, the SAMAR-1 system debuted at Aero India 2023.
The SAMAR-1 air defense system is claimed to be capable of engaging air targets at ranges exceeding 10 km, with the missile's flight speed reaching 700 m/s during its boost phase. To increase the probability of hitting a single target, two missiles are launched.
Five self-propelled launchers were manufactured for military testing in 2023, and they participated in live-fire exercises in December 2023 and February 2024. In May 2025, during Operation Sindoor, these systems were said to have shot down Pakistani UAVs near the cities of Srinagar and Amritsar in Kashmir and Punjab.
At the DefExpo 2022 exhibition, the SAMAR-2 air defense system on the Tatra 815 truck chassis was presented. The 7th Air Force Repair Base, located in Tughlaqabad near Delhi (specializing in the repair of anti-aircraft and aviation missiles), as well as Simran Flowtech Industries and Yamazuki Denki.
Self-propelled launcher of the SAMAR-2 air defense missile system
The SAMAR-2 system uses refurbished and redesigned R-27ET1 air-to-air missiles with an IR seeker, which, when launched from the ground, can hit air targets at a distance of up to 20 km.
It was also announced that work is underway to adapt the R-27ER1 semi-active radar-guided missile. However, using such a missile in a SAM system requires a radar illumination and guidance system, which is a much more complex device than an optical sight or even an optoelectronic targeting and search system with a thermal imaging channel.
Indian sources report that the development of the SAMAR family of air defense systems has received approval at the highest level under the Make in India initiative. Considering that the Indian Air Force has accumulated approximately a thousand retired R-73E, R-27ET-1, and R-27ER-1 missiles in its depots, which could be adapted for ground-launch, this approach is entirely justified. Experts note that air-to-air missiles launched from ground launchers without an additional booster stage will not achieve the range and speed of those launched from a fighter. However, they can be quite effective against relatively slow-moving airborne targets operating at low altitudes.
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