2025 for January 1970

Autonomous Warfare Latest News

Launched in early May as retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor marked the first direct drone-led military conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.
Over four days, both nations shifted to a new mode of engagement centered on Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)—including armed drones, loitering munitions, and electronic decoys—operating below the threshold of full-scale war.
Prior to the operation, Israeli Heron MK-II and indigenous TAPAS-BH-201 (Rustom-II) UAVs conducted deep surveillance into Pakistani airspace.
From May 7, India struck nine targets, and both sides deployed a wide range of drones for real-time ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) and precision strikes.
Tactics included the use of decoy drones to spoof enemy radars and drain interceptor stocks. The conflict de-escalated by May 10 following a ceasefire, setting a precedent for drone-centric warfare in South Asia.

India’s Use of Aerial Systems in Operation Sindoor

India used a varied fleet of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), including:
- Indigenous loitering munitions like Nagastra-1
- Israeli-origin Harop drones (capable of autonomous radar targeting)
- Swarm drones developed by DRDO and private firms for radar saturation

Tactical Strategy: Sequenced Drone Strikes

Initial waves included decoy drones and EW (electronic warfare) payloads to confuse radar and exhaust SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile) defences.
Followed by precision loitering munitions and armed UAVs guided by Heron MK II and TAPAS-BH-201 drones.
Quadcopters and micro-UAVs supplied real-time ISR feeds via the Integrated Battle Management System (IBMS) for dynamic target acquisition.

Notable Impacts and Strikes

Reports claimed a cricket match in Rawalpindi was disrupted due to Indian drone strikes.
A Chinese-supplied HQ-9 SAM system near Lahore was reportedly destroyed by an Indian Harop drone.

Strategic Implications

The operation showcased India’s growing capability in autonomous warfare, executing precise, risk-free cross-border strikes.
Analysts highlighted this as a new model of deterrence in South Asia, signaling a shift in regional aerial power dynamics in India’s favor.

India’s Multi-Layered Air Defence System During Operation Sindoor

Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) is India’s core air defence nerve centre.
It fuses inputs from ground-based radars, AWACS, satellites, and other sensors.
It also enables real-time tracking and interception of low-altitude threats like drones via integration with SAMs and fighter jets.
It is designed with redundancy — damage to nodes doesn't disrupt overall operations due to alternate data links and mobile radars.

Pakistan’s Attempted Disruption

Pakistan tried to overload IACCS by varying drone altitude, timing, and routes to: Disrupt communication nodes; Confuse command loops; Find vulnerabilities for follow-up drone/missile strikes.
All attacks were unsuccessful; any disruptions were swiftly mitigated.

Advanced Features and Failover Capabilities

IACCS’s ‘mesh’ architecture allows:
- Seamless failover when nodes are hit.
- Sustained situational awareness using satellite uplinks and mobile platforms.
Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs): Employed high-powered lasers/microwaves to neutralise drones quickly.

Tactical Support: Akashteer System

Akashteer developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for Army Air Defence units.
Digitised command layer ensures:
Real-time coordination between sensors and weapons.
Effective handling of low-level threats like UAVs, even under EW/communication stress.

Layered Architecture of the Air Defence Shield

India used a multi-layer defence combining:
- Retrofitted Cold War-era systems.
- Modern missile platforms.
Low-Level Air Defence (LLAD) Network
- Composed of legacy systems upgraded with radar-directed fire and electro-optical sights.
- Even Army and BSF snipers contributed by shooting down drones in frontline areas.
Modern Additions
- Israeli SPYDER missile system with Python-5 and Derby missiles: Used for point defence against UAVs, cruise missiles, and aircraft.

A New Kind of War – The Technological Evolution of Operation Sindoor

Advanced Missile Systems for Layered Defence
- Akash & Akash-NG: Provided medium-range air defence against aerial threats.
- Barak-8: India-Israel joint development offering long-range protection of high-value strategic assets from aircraft, drones, and missiles.
- S-400 'Triumf' (Sudarshan Chakra): Russia-made cutting-edge long-range air defence system; India has received 3 out of 5 units ordered.
Centralised Integration through IACCS
- All missile systems were seamlessly integrated via the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS).
- Enabled coordinated, real-time responses to a full spectrum of aerial threats.
Dawn of Algorithmic, Autonomous Warfare
- Operation Sindoor marked a paradigm shift:
  - From conventional to autonomous, algorithm-driven warfare.
  - Deterrence mechanisms are now shaped by data, drones, and digital precision rather than brute force.
  - Future conflicts may begin not with human mobilization but with the silent launch of autonomous drones — a shift in both strategy and psychology of warfare.

Autonomous Warfare FAQs

Q1. What is Operation Sindoor?

Ans. A drone-led military conflict between India and Pakistan launched in May, marking the start of autonomous warfare in South Asia.

Q2. Which drones did India use?

Ans. India used Nagastra-1, Harop drones, and swarm drones for precision strikes and aerial dominance.

Q3. What is the IACCS?

Ans. India’s Integrated Air Command and Control System ensures real-time tracking and neutralization of drone threats using multi-source data integration.

Q4. What role did Directed Energy Weapons play?

Ans. DEWs used high-powered lasers and microwaves to quickly detect and disable incoming enemy drones during combat.

Q5. How did India defend against Pakistani drones?

Ans. India employed a layered air defence system with LLAD platforms, Akash missiles, SPYDER systems, and upgraded Cold War-era weapons.

.Source: TH