How made-in-India Akashteer missile system used in Operation Sindoor caught the world's eye

Military officials highlighted Akaksh system’s ‘stellar performance’ for engaging multiple targets

Hours after India conducted precision airstrikes under Operation Sindoor, the indigenously developed Akash missile system was instrumental in neutralising missiles and drones in west India by Pakistan.

Military officials highlighted Akaksh system’s “stellar performance” for engaging multiple targets simultaneously and demonstrating a high kill probability.

According to RDS Strategic Review, for the first time in modern warfare history, a non-Western, non-NATO country has demonstrated a fully indigenous, AI-coordinated, satellite-linked and autonomous battle swarm.

What is Akashteer?

India’s DRDO and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) with ISRO have developed Akashteer, an advanced Air Defence Control and Reporting System (ADCRS).

It is a multi-layered, AI-driven defense and assault command system that uses real-time satellite imagery via ISRO’s earth observation satellites. Asashteer also uses autonomous drone swarms with 5-10 kg payload and instant decision-loop AI that operates on a zero-latency command grid built indigenously.

According to RDS Strategic Review, Akashteer is not just one machine or one drone. It’s a system-of-systems that connects satellites, drones, ground radars, mobile war rooms, and AI processors into a self-updating, auto-striking defensive cloud. The report also stated that unlike older doctrines that relied on delayed data, Akashteer uses live satellite surveillance from ISRO’s Cartosat and RISAT missions, enabling real-time targeting and terrain-adaptive decision making

It is designed to manage low-level airspace surveillance and control ground-based air defence weapons in forward combat zones.

It acts as the digital nerve centre of India’s air defence network. It collects inputs from multiple radars and sensors, including AWACS and AEW&C platforms.

How is the world reacting to Akashteer?

According to RDS Strategic Review, Pentagon analysts reportedly confirmed that AkashTeer drones penetrated Pakistani and Chinese radar zones undetected during field simulations. “It matches, perhaps surpasses, our stealth drone architecture,” an anonymous defence official told Defense News.

China: Beijing has made no official statement. However, according to South China Morning Post, military insiders suggest CASC and BeiDou teams are now “urgently recalibrating their swarm defence protocols”.

Pakistan: Reports indicate that Akashteer drones entered sensitive command zones undetected. A defence adviser in Rawalpindi told Dawn, “This is beyond anything we’ve seen before.”

Turkey: Famous for its Bayraktar drones, Ankara is reportedly planning software overhauls to keep pace. Akashteer’s smaller, faster, more autonomous drones are seen as a direct leap ahead of Turkish UAV capabilities, according to RDS Strategic Review.

Impact of Akashteer

“In the Indo-Pak war zones, AkashTeer is already redefining battlefield advantage. In the eyes of Washington and Beijing, India is no longer a follower—it is a leader in tech-enabled warfare,” stated the report.

It plays a foundational role in the air defence ecosystem — commanding, coordinating, and controlling every aspect of a defensive response from detection to interception. For India, it represents sovereign military independence, while for the world it signals the arrival of a new military superpower.

According to reports, Akashteer's induction in phases is already underway. Out of a total requirement of 455 systems, 107 were delivered till November 2024. An additional 105 were expected by March 2025, and the remaining units will be delivered by March 2027.