Hypersonic Missile Defence to Be Integrated into Operation Sudarshan Chakra
India is set to significantly strengthen its air and missile defence posture with the planned integration of hypersonic missile defence capabilities into Operation Sudarshan Chakra, a key tri-services air defence framework. The move reflects a forward-leaning strategy to counter next-generation threats and reinforces India’s focus on future-ready warfare.
According to defence sources, the integration will enable India to detect, track, and intercept hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic cruise missiles, which travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5 and follow unpredictable flight paths. These weapons pose a major challenge to conventional missile defence systems due to their speed, maneuverability, and low-altitude trajectories.
Operation Sudarshan Chakra already aims to create a unified, network-centric air defence umbrella by integrating sensors, command-and-control systems, and interceptor platforms across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The addition of hypersonic defence elements will further enhance this architecture, ensuring seamless coordination and faster response times against advanced aerial threats.
India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been working on multiple technologies relevant to hypersonic defence, including long-range radars, advanced tracking systems, and high-speed interceptors. These indigenous developments are expected to play a central role in the new capability stack, aligning with the broader Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision in defence.
From a strategic standpoint, this integration positions India among a select group of nations actively preparing for the hypersonic era. It also sends a clear signal of deterrence, underscoring the country’s intent to protect critical infrastructure, population centres, and strategic assets against emerging missile threats.
In short, bringing hypersonic missile defence under Operation Sudarshan Chakra is not just an upgrade—it’s a structural shift toward a more resilient, technology-driven, and future-proof national air defence ecosystem.
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Source – INDIAN RESEARCH DEFENCE WING