India Establishes Joint Counter Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid in New Delhi to Strengthen Air Defence Shield

Key facts

• The Indian defence forces are working towards creating a joint Counter Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) grid to foil any enemy drone attacks.
• The joint CUAS grid being created by networking all the CUAS systems of the forces will be separate from the existing air defence networks of the defence forces, such as the Integrated Air Command and Control Systems (IACCS) of the Indian Air Force.
• The joint CUAS grid would be established with the existing Joint Air Defence Centres (JADC), including the three services, and deployed to monitor all drone movements.
• The Centre is working on Mission Sudarshan Chakra to create a massive air defence shield.
• During Operation Sindoor, the Pakistan Army tried to target Indian civilian and military installations in a big way by using Turkish and Chinese-origin drones.
• Major damage to small drones was caused by the L-70 and ZU-23 air-defence guns of the Indian Army.
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed laser counter UAS system.
• The Chief of the Defence Staff is responsible for integrating the three forces and enhancing jointness among them.