Ground-based air defence systems play a crucial role in a country’s defence. These are the goalkeepers of the skies. The Indian air force is right now struggling to maintain its squadron strength. In such a scenario the role of air defence systems becomes very important.

NDA 1 2024 Air Defence Missile Systems of India Lecture

Ground-based air defence systems play a crucial role in a country’s defence. These are the goalkeepers of the skies. The Indian air force is right now struggling to maintain its squadron strength. In such a scenario the role of air defence systems becomes very important.

Components

•Long Range interception: Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme

•Intermediate Interception: S-400 Triumph (future induction)

•Short Range interception: Akash Air Defense System and Similar Systems

•Very Short-range interception: MANPADS and Anti- Aircraft Guns.

Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) missile

•The Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) is an anti-ballistic missile developed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere (exo-atmospheric).

•It has an operational range of 300 km -2000 km. It has maximum interception altitude of 80 km. it is designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles in their intermediate cruising phase. With a maximum speed over Mach 5, PAD is fast enough to hit intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

•It is an active phased array radar having the capability to track 200 targets at a range of 600 km

Advanced Air Defence (AAD) Missile

•Advanced Air Defence (AAD) is an anti-ballistic missile designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles in the endo-atmosphere at an altitude of 30 km (19 mi). It is for those targets which somehow get passed through PAD. It is a secondary layer which compliments PAD.

•AAD has an operational range of 150 km to 200 km. It has a maximum speed of Mach 4.5. AAD is a single-stage, solid-fuelled missile with siliconised carbon jet vanes.

Short Range interception (less than 100 km)

•Indian Army and Indian Air force operates a variety of systems in this segment. These mainly include Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) like Akash SAM, S-125 pechora, Spyder Air defense system etc

S-125 Pechora

•Indian Army and Indian Air force operates a variety of systems in this segment. These mainly include Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) like Akash SAM, S-125 pechora, Spyder Air defense system etc

Akash Air Defence System

•The missile system can target aircraft up to 45 km away, at altitudes up to 18,000 m. It has the capability to neutralize aerial targets like fighter jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles as well as ballistic missiles.

SPYDER

•The SPYDER (Surface-to-air PYthon and DERby) is an Israeli short and medium-range mobile air defence system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with assistance from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

9K33 Osa AK

•The 9K33 Osa is a highly mobile, low-altitude, short-range tactical surface-to-air missile system designed in the Soviet Union.

Barak 8 “LRSAM”

•Barak 8 also known as LR-SAM or as MR-SAM is an Indo-Israeli surface-to-air missile (SAM), designed to defend against any type of airborne threat including aircraft, helicopters, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs as well as ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and combat jets.