SAKSHAM: Indian Army Deploys Homegrown Anti-Drone Defence System

What is SAKSHAM?

• SAKSHAM is a Counter‑Unmanned Aerial System (C‑UAS) grid system developed in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Ghaziabad.
  
• The system is designed to detect, track, identify, and neutralise hostile drones and unmanned aerial systems in real time.
  
• It operates over the Indian Army’s secure Army Data Network (ADN), enabling a unified “Recognised UAS Picture” for field formations.
  
• SAKSHAM can integrate data from radars, electro-optical sensors, and other surveillance inputs, and fuse them with soft‑kill (jamming, spoofing) and hard‑kill (kinetic) countermeasures.
  
• Its architecture is modular, scalable, and designed to adapt to evolving drone threats.

Why the move now?

The need for SAKSHAM grew out of recent operational experience, especially during Operation Sindoor earlier in 2025. During that operation, hostile drone incursions underscored the critical need for rapid detection, coordinated response, and tighter control over the airspace immediately above the battlefield. To meet this challenge, the Indian Army has expanded its concept of the battlefield. The earlier notion of the Tactical Battle Area (TBA) has evolved into the Tactical Battlefield Space (TBS), which includes the Air Littoral—the airspace up to about 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) above ground. Control of this vertical domain is now seen as critical to battlefield dominance.

Strategic and Operational Impact

SAKSHAM significantly enhances India’s defence posture by securing low-altitude airspace against evolving drone threats. Strategically, it boosts deterrence and supports the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative by leveraging indigenous technology developed with Bharat Electronics Limited. It also aligns with the Army’s shift toward integrated, multi-domain warfare.

Operationally, SAKSHAM provides real-time tracking and response to aerial threats through a unified sensor network, enabling faster decision-making and effective use of both soft- and hard-kill measures. Its scalable design ensures flexibility across terrains, while integration into command networks ensures seamless battlefield coordination and control of the air littoral space.