Project Sudarshan Chakra, as extensively discussed by NDTV’s Shiv Aroor and Vishnu Som, is India’s most ambitious attempt to develop a indigenous, multi-layered air and missile defence shield aimed at transforming the nation’s security landscape by 2035. Announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech, the initiative takes inspiration from the legendary Sudarshan Chakra wielded by Lord Krishna, signalling both cultural pride and technological aspiration in defence strategy.
Its conception comes amid growing security imperatives, especially in the wake of heightened hostilities with Pakistan and broader emerging threats including advanced aerial, missile, and cyber warfare.
India’s Sudarshan Chakra is a landmark, ambitious multi-layered air and missile defence initiative unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 2025 Independence Day speech. It aims to provide a comprehensive, integrated shield to protect India’s skies and critical assets from a broad spectrum of aerial threats, including enemy aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic glide vehicles, and swarm attacks.
The system is envisioned as a nationwide strategic grid that seamlessly integrates advanced technologies such as satellites, long-range radars, AI-enabled detection and interception, missile interceptors, drones, directed-energy lasers, and cyber countermeasures. This integration brings together sensors, command centres, shooters, and decision-makers into a unified responsive network for real-time threat detection, interception, and retaliation.
Sudarshan Chakra’s architecture features three key layers:
The outer layer comprises early warning satellites and jamming-resistant radars that continuously scan the sky to provide timely alerts of incoming threats.
The middle layer consists of long- and medium-range interceptors designed to target ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles.
The inner layer uses short-range air defence missiles, directed-energy lasers, and anti-drone weaponry for close-range neutralization of aerial threats.
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India plans to initially protect vital locations such as the Delhi National Capital Region, command centres, nuclear installations, key airfields, naval ports, and energy hubs. The project envisions later deploying mobile units along battlefronts to shield Army strike formations.
What sets Sudarshan Chakra apart is its combination of indigenous technology and tactical innovation. Utilizing AI for enhanced targeting and interception precision, satellite-based early warning, and tri-service integration of the Army, Navy, and Air Force defence systems, the shield represents a fusion of global air defence concepts—echoing the capabilities of Israel’s Iron Dome, the U.S.’s THAAD, and Russia’s S-500—yet tailored specifically for India’s strategic, multi-front threat environment.
Unlike purely defensive systems, Sudarshan Chakra is designed not only to intercept and neutralize threats but also to provide the capability for assured retaliation, allowing India to strike deep and accurately in response to aggression, thereby redefining its deterrence posture. The system is expected to progressively modernize and scale up through 2035, supporting an evolving missile arsenal that includes the Pralay quasi-ballistic missile and extended-range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
Sudarshan Chakra stands as a game-changing national security initiative that will safeguard India’s airspace, cities, and critical defence and civilian infrastructure by creating a technologically advanced, layered, and integrated aerial shield backed by AI and indigenous defence manufacturing. This initiative marks a strategic leap from reactive defence to proactive deterrence and assured retaliation, elevating India’s defence posture to counter 21st-century aerial challenges comprehensively.
This detailed integration and indigenous innovation make Sudarshan Chakra a transformational project poised to enhance India’s national security significantly and elevate its strategic capabilities on the global stage.
Based On NDTV Video Report
Agency
