Sudarshan Chakra will be India’s own ‘Iron Dome’: CDS

Bhopal: More than 10 days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ air defence system during his Independence Day speech, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan said the Indian Iron Dome will involve a comprehensive integration of tri-services assets to create an impenetrable strategic shield. Speaking at the first-ever two-day ‘Ran Samwad’ seminar at the Army War College at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, Gen Chauhan said, while the vision for India’s own iron dome Sudarshan Chakra is ambitious, its realisation would demand “a colossal amount of integration” across platforms and domains.

The Sudarshan Chakra will require seamless networking of various systems across land, air, sea, undersea and space domains. The military will have to look at a multi-domain ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) capability, enhanced by artificial intelligence, advanced computation, data analytics, and even quantum technologies,” Gen Chauhan stated in his keynote address.

The CDS underscored that the project would necessitate a “whole-of-the-nation” approach, bringing together the armed forces, scientific community, defence industry and civil administration. He said the shield is envisioned not just as a defensive system, but also as a force multiplier that would enable swift, decisive responses in the event of a threat. The deliberations on comprehensive air defence system comes amid escalating regional tensions, especially after reported remarks by Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who hinted at potential strikes on Indian strategic infrastructure in case of a future conflict.