Page 12 - The Indian EYE 032026

OPINION MARCH 20, 2026 | The Indian Eye 12

Mission Sudarshan Chakra

and the India–Israel Special

Strategic Partnership

The prevailing theorizing of Mission Sudrashan Chakra borrows heavily from India’s

success in countering aerial missile and drone attacks during Operation Sindoor

SUKHBIR KAUR MINHAS
Courtesy: IDSA
n 15 August 2025, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi an-
Onounced Mission Sudarshan
Chakra, India’s ‘Shield and Sword’,
to be achieved by 2035. Besides en-
hancing India’s Air Defense (AD),
Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) and
aerial offensive capabilities, the Mis-
sion aims to fuse the cyber, cognitive
and aerospace domains into a cohe-
sive “kavach” capable of countering
futuristic, complex, massed and mixed
aerial threats through a unified strat-
egy. Given recent and ongoing con-
flicts, besides lessons from Operation
Sindoor, the time-bound completion
of the mission is critical to achieving air superiority and deep-strike ca- a robust industrial ecosystem for its map, public discourse and most es-
national security objectives. pabilities, paired with a robust and offensive platforms—missiles, air- sentially what remains classified, and
Six months into the project, multi-layered IAMD shield. The lat- craft, air-launched munitions and what gets revealed, an aspect central
during PM Modi’s state visit to Israel ter is its popularly known Iron Dome drones—besides leveraging cyber to its very existence.
on 25–26 February 2026, several news system, along with Arrow, David Sling and AI aspects. Future structures also The third underlying factor to the
reports indicated Israel’s willingness and now Iron Beam. seek to integrate the intelligence and success of the Mission is Cost—the
to share technology of its Integrat- Behind these famed IAMD sys- cognitive domains into India’s warf- means to ensure adequate and con-
ed Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) tems lies Israel’s prowess in coordi- ighting doctrine, an aspect highlight- sistent investments and funding, as
systems with India, specifically the nating its war strategy—a national ed by Israel’s Operation Rising Lion IAMD systems are very expensive to
Iron Dome and the Iron Beam, with Command and Control (C2) network against Iran in 2025 and inseparable build. The US’s Golden Dome initia-
some reports suggesting Arrow and that fuses diverse sensors, discrimi- from Mission Sudarshan Chakra. As tive, for example, is expected to cost
David Sling systems besides offensive nates threats, and enables rapid de- the blueprint of the Mission is final- US$ 175 billion. This cost factor has
weapons such as the Golden Horizon cisions, both offensive and defensive. ized and the roadmap rolled out, its driven most countries to adopt an
air-launched ballistic missile, Spice Its IAMD framework integrates with implementation will see India address approach of ensuring AD through
munition guidance kits, Rampage its offensive component, including re- inherent challenges, referred to here collaboration alongside domestic in-
air-to-ground missiles, Ice Breaker connaissance satellites, radars, UAVs, as the challenge of the C3—Complex- vestments, such as the Germany-led
cruise missile and the supersonic AIR EW systems and ISTAR aircraft. It ity, Continuity and Cost. European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI),
LORA Air Launched Ballistic Missile leverages Artificial Intelligence for IAMD systems in general have which seeks to improve European
(ALBM) missiles. The two sides were a full-spectrum, command-and-con- often been described as highly com- IAMD by participation of 24 coun-
expected to sign a Memorandum of trol-enabled offensive freedom of ac- plex and challenging to deliver—con- tries, with Turkiye and Greece joining
Understanding (MoU) for co-devel- tion and strategic response across air, ceptually, technically and organiza- in 2024.
opment and domestic manufacturing sea, land and space. tionally. Countries seeking to defend Though India has chosen not to
in India under a broader ‘Strategic Al- Mission Sudarshan Chakra: their people, assets and lands from align with any regional/international
liance’, thus adding a crucial element aerial threats cannot do so without security partner for its IAMD frame-
to Mission Sudarshan Chakra. The Imperatives aligning their offensive postures and work, the related industrial sector
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) The prevailing theorizing of broader military strategies with their has been steadily evolving under the
and the Israeli Air Force (IAF) pur- Mission Sudrashan Chakra borrows foreign policy and protecting their vision of ‘Atmanirbharta’, with indige-
sue a combined strategy of swift, in- heavily from India’s success in coun- forces deployed in theatres of oper- nous manufacturing and international
telligence-driven offensive strikes by tering aerial missile and drone attacks ations outside their respective coun- collaboration through Joint Ventures
“integrating its air, land, sea, cyber during Operation Sindoor. Alongside tries. Mission Sudarshan Chakra simi- (JVs), co-development and tech
and space capabilities with the Israe- strengthening of this defensive capa- larly needs to navigate the conundrum transfers. Some of the foreign part-
li home front command” to maintain bility, the Mission looks at building of its architecture, technologies, road- Continued on next page... >>

www.TheIndianEYE.com