Envisaging a framework for Sudarshan Chakra

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi outlined Mission Sudarshan Chakra —to be operationalised by 2035—on Independence Day.

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In the context of this vision, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested a new integrated air defence system, consisting of a variety of weapons that shot down three targets at different altitudes and ranges, as per the statement of the defence ministry in late August.

The testing of the weapons at different altitudes and ranges signifies the multilayered characteristic of India’s present and futuristic air defence system, which will encompass the weapon systems of the Indian Air Force and army air defence. The necessary capabilities for Sudarshana Chakra exist to an extent, but it is scale that is desired.

Future wars are largely going to be non-contact in nature, fought at large standoff distances. Given the evolutionary nature of warfare, with no clear dividing line between the past, present, and future, it is imperative to prepare for both “old” and “new” kinds of warfare. Herein lies the criticality of blending the best of legacy and contemporary weapon platforms. This is applicable to Mission Sudarshan Chakra too.

The dynamic contexts of the present-day battlefield are marked by diverse campaign settings. It could be, for instance, a conventional conflict such as the Russia-Ukraine one, or irregular warfare that we see in densely populated areas in Gaza, or even combating State proxies, such as terror outfits sponsored by Pakistan.

The distances involved in terms of the range of combat shall also vary. It could be short-range, as it is in Ukraine, or long-range, as with Israel's campaign against Iran and Ukraine’s campaign against strategic targets inside Russia. Or, it could be a mix of short-and long-range conflict.