Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ambitious plan to set up the Sudarshan Chakra, a multi-layered defensive architecture meant to protect India from missile strikes, terrorist attacks and other high-end threats.
Drawing from the mythological weapon of Lord Krishna, the system would blend modern surveillance, cyber defense and physical security to defend citizens and critical infrastructure.
From Myth to Modern Military Might
The name Sudarshan Chakra derives from the Mahabharata, where Krishna shielded the Sun to help Arjuna win. In the same spirit, the project aims to defend India from a wide variety of present-day threats. By 2035, the Prime Minister envisions a completely indigenous system redesigned, developed and built in India providing for an advanced, self-reliant defense network.
Lessons from Operation Sindoor
The necessity for such a system became urgent when earlier this year Pakistan’s attempts at Operation Sindoor to damage Indian military bases and cities failed. For almost 100 hours, India’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) was invulnerable as it tracked threats in real time and coordinated responses of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
ALSO READ: India’s S-400 Sudarshan Chakra Creates Record With Six Aerial Kills in One Operation
This episode emphasized the need for prompt expansion and upgrading of the capabilities to protect critical assets like power grids, communications, water sources and hospitals.
Backbone: IACCS and Akashteer
Central to the Sudarshan Chakra will be the IACCS, which is already the backbone of India’s air defense. It binds together all radars, AWACS aircraft, missile batteries, and fighter squadrons giving the commanders a total perspective of the battlefield.
The system will be interfaced with Akashteer of the Army for quicker and more coordinated interceptions of indigenous missile systems such as Akash and Quick Reaction SAMs.
Iron Dome and Golden Dome
The idea is highly akin to the defence shields of other countries Israel’s Iron Dome has intercepted thousands of incoming rockets at a success rate of nearly 90%, whereas the proposed US Golden Dome is basically an integrated land, air and sea project for missile defence costing an estimated $175 billion.
ALSO READ: Is Mission Sudarshan Chakra India’s New Ballistic Missile Defence?
These initiatives highlight the strategic importance of layered defence in an age of fast missile proliferation.
A Shield for the Future
Missile defence no longer comes as an option; rather, it has turned out a compulsion now. With Sudarshan Chakra, India is already preparing not merely for the next fracture but also signals its intent to deter it.
In a world full of unpredictability, the optimum protection is preparedness, and this initiative could very well become the ultimate ‘protector in the sky’ for the country.
ALSO READ: 79th Independence Day: PM Modi Announces Mission Sudarshan Chakra
