The C-URAM Imperative: Lessons from Operation Sindoor for Indian Army Air Defence

The recent 'Operation Sindoor' has brought to the fore many achievements, capabilities, battle readiness of our armed forces as also a few vulnerabilities. One of the areas of concern has been the targeting of our border population centers by modern and extremely proliferate aerial threats, to include drones, SWARMS, rockets, artillery, and mortar attacks. The conflict also brought to fore an imperative for the Indian Army-the requirement to bolster its border and critical infra defenses with advanced Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) and Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) technologies.

Lessons from Operation Sindoor
During the operation, Army Air Defence successfully neutralized approximately 600 Pakistani unmanned aerial vehicles of various hues and sizes, safeguarding the border towns of Rajouri, Poonch, Jammu, Amritsar, Bhuj, Naliya etc.

The threat spread across a vast spectrum to include a myriad of Turkish-origin Songar, YiHA class armed drones, multiple variety of Quad Copters and reconnaissance drones, highlighting the diverse and low technology to fairly sophisticated nature of the platforms used. The Indian Army Air Defence employed a combination of legacy, yet effective systems like the L-70, Zu-23mm and the Upgraded Schilka Gun system which were extremely successful, mainly with the use of pre-fragmented ammunition and high rate of fire.

Indian Army Air Defence also deployed the Indigenous AKASH missile systems in coordination with the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction system capable of destroying high value drones using both soft and hard kill measures; a combination of jammers and LASER kill system. All these systems were seamlessly integrated with an automated Command and Control Systems 'AKASHTEER' which allowed for a distributed and decentralised architecture, real time threat evaluation and target designation thereby safeguarding the Indian Airspace.

Indian Army Air Defence had appreciated the threat and carried out a war gamed a drone attack simulation exercise on 26 and 27 Apr 25. However, traditionally, armed forces across the world end up fighting the last war, and hence there is an urgent requirement to introspect, improve and look inwards to assess the newly emerged vulnerabilities and gaps. In order to safeguard our cities, towns, border area villages, population centres and other critical infra, there is an operational need to have a seamless C-URAM solution. One may argue for the need of an Iron Dome kind of a sophisticated system, however, keeping in mind the vastness of India's geographical borders as also competing requirements, we need solutions tailor made for us. Our requirements need to be met by systems which are simple, efficient and cost effective with ability to detect and neutralise such threats before manifestation.

Global Counter-UAS and C-RAM Systems

• A Counter-UAS, Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) system is designed to detect and neutralize incoming threats such as rockets, artillery shells, and mortar rounds before they reach their intended targets. These systems are equipped with advanced radar, electro-optical sensors, and rapid-fire weapons or interceptors to provide protection for military bases, critical infrastructure, and high-value assets.
• While traditional C-RAM systems were primarily developed to counter indirect fires, many have been adapted or integrated with technologies to address the growing challenge of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones. Their effectiveness against drones varies based on factors like drone size, speed, and altitude. Some of the C-URAM systems available across the world are as follows:-

United States: Centurion C-RAM
An adaptation of the naval Phalanx CIWS, this system uses a 20mm M61A1 Gatling gun to intercept incoming projectiles, including rockets and mortars, with a range of up to 2,300 meters.

• Israel: Iron Dome
Iron Dome is an Israeli mobile all-weather air defense system, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. The system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and
artillery shells fired from distances of 4 to 70 kilometres (2-43 mi) and whose trajectory would take them to an Israeli populated area.

• Russia: Pantsir-S1
The Pantsir system is a self-propelled, short-range air defense system that combines missile and gun capabilities, making it effective against aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and precision-guided munitions. India is planning to develop and potentially produce the Russian Pantsir air defense system locally, with Indigenous manufacturing.

So, what do we require?
In the Indian context we initially need a high rate of fire gun system with capabilities to detect incoming threats of rocket artillery and mortars with adequate capability to identify and track these threats. We need to proliferate the gun systems to ensure adequate density and obviate saturation. These systems also need to be integrated with a seamless but decentralised command and control method which can be scalable to include both hard and kill options.

Sensors and Detection. The radar and EO sys must have a capability to detect 0.001sq m and lower RCS and fast-moving targets like drones,rockets, artillery and mortars coupled with EO sensors like Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR), cameras or optical systems for visual identification and tracking, effective in all weather conditions upto a range of 1 -7 kms. These detection systems can be integrated with AKSAHTEER command and control system enabling real-time data processing and decision-making. The complete command and control architecture needs to be modular, plug and play and with high degree of interoperability powered by AI decision making for rapid threat detection, classification and tracking to reduce response time. Required upgradations to the AKASHTEER software and integration with sensors can be easily carried out.

Once the sensors are integrated, we need the kill systems to complete the sensor - shooter loop wherein both kinetic and non-kinetic systems can be employed. This would include Rapid Fire Guns with smart ammunitions, High Energy LASERS (HEL), High Power Microwave (HPM) and Swarm defence system with multiple rocket launch capability. A similar system has been successfully tested and has the capability to launch 64 rockets to engage a swarm of drones at ranges of upto 2.5 km and altitude of 5 km.

These systems are required to be deployed across various terrains and hence need to be light weight and modular, preferably on a common chassis platform. Systems may also be mounted on mobile platforms like trailers (e.g., Centurion C-RAM on Oshkosh trucks) or HMVs (e.g., Stryker for laser systems) for rapid deployment and repositioning.

The Way Forward
India's experience in Operation Sindoor (May 2025) was an opportunity to assess the modern battlefield's realities - the enemy's use of high-volume, low-altitude threats from mortars to drones will only intensify in future conflicts. To safeguard national security in this environment, the Indian Army must rapidly field and integrate Counter- UAS, Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar systems. An effective C-URAM capability, woven into the fabric of the Akashteer-driven air defense network, will ensure that the next time our forces and citizens come under such attack, we can detect, intercept, and destroy the threats before they hit their mark.

By investing in C-URAM, India will be adding a critical layer to its multi-tier air defense architecture, complementing long-range missile shields with a close-in protective web. This not only saves lives and critical assets in the short term but also reinforces deterrence by negating the enemy's asymmetrical tactics. For the Indian Army, embracing C-URAM is a natural evolution of its role as the defender of the nation's critical assets. In the words of a soldier who served during Operation Sindoor: "Our countermeasures were there, so we did not suffer any losses... the enemy will remember this firing for decades". With robust C-URAM defenses in place, we can ensure that an enemy drone, rocket or mortar fired at India will be remembered not for the damage it caused, but for how swiftly and surely it was shot out of the sky.

Brig Manish Kumar is a decorated Air Defence officer with 34 years of service. A qualified flying instructor with over 2,000 flying hours, he held key command, operational, and instructional roles. He is a recipient of the Vishisht Seva Medal and multiple commendations.