The recent India-Pakistan military conflict has highlighted the need for quick detection, coordinated response, and airspace control beyond traditional ground limits. Since the conflict, the Army has evolved its operational concept from the earlier Tactical Battle Area (TBA) to the more inclusive Tactical Battlefield Space (TBS), which includes the Air Littoral—the airspace up to 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) above the ground.
Taking a cue from the unprecedented deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and drone-centric tactics during Operation Sindoor and the operational and strategic evolution of drone warfare across the globe, the Indian Army initiated the procurement of an indigenously developed ‘SAKSHAM’ (Situational Awareness for Kinetic Soft and Hard Kill Assets Management) Counter Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid System.
What will SAKSHAM do?
‘SAKSHAM’ is designed to detect, track, identify, and neutralise hostile drones and unmanned aerial systems in real time. Conceived as a high-end, modular Command and Control System, it has been developed by the Army in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Ghaziabad.
The system, which operates over the secure Army Data Network (ADN) to provide an integrated, recognised UAS picture to all formations and arms in real time, will offer integrated situational awareness for Counter-UAS (CUAS) management through an effective CUAS network grid across TBS.
It also aims to integrate the UAS data, CUAS sensors, and soft/hard-kill systems of the Indian security forces and the adversary on a common GIS-based platform. It also seeks to enable automated decision support and real-time visualisation for field commanders and offer a modular, scalable, and flexible architecture adaptable to evolving UAS threats.
The situational awareness of SAKSHAM is further enhanced by mapping all airspace users—friendly, neutral, or hostile—within the combat zone by using the inputs from India's fully indigenous, automated Air Defence Control and Reporting System, Akashteer.
Once operational, SAKSHAM will serve as the backbone of the Indian Army's Counter-UAS grid, giving commanders a unified picture of both ground and aerial threats in the TBS. It will enhance decision-making speed, ensure rapid engagement, and secure control over the Air Littoral, ensuring that the troops and infrastructure are protected from aerial incursions.
