THE DRONE DUEL

An interactive analysis of the drone warfare that defined Operation Sindoor, revealing how an integrated, indigenous strategy triumphed over a disparate, imported arsenal.

THE SHIELD: INDIA'S INTEGRATED DEFENSE

India thwarted a saturation attack of over 600 drones and missiles. This success was not due to a single weapon, but an intelligent, multi-layered "system-of-systems" that automated the entire kill chain, from detection to destruction.

The Central Nervous System

IACCS (Air Force)

The national-level strategic grid, fusing data from all military and civilian radars into a single, unified air picture. The brain of the entire operation.

Akashteer (Army)

The tactical command system that connects Army air defense units to the IACCS, automating the sensor-to-shooter loop with AI-driven threat prioritization.

DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE: A VISUAL ANALYSIS

This chart illustrates the stark difference between Pakistan's saturation offensive and the comprehensive success of India's integrated defensive shield.

THE SPEAR: INDIA'S OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN

India's offensive was a masterclass in modern warfare, using a sophisticated doctrine of "Deceive, Degrade, Destroy" to systematically dismantle Pakistan's defenses before striking high-value targets with precision.

1. DECEIVE

Decoy drones mimicking fighter jets baited Pakistani HQ-9 SAMs into activating their radars, revealing their positions.

2. DEGRADE

With radars exposed, Israeli-made IAI Harop "suicide drones" homed in on the emissions, destroying the air defense batteries.

3. DESTROY

With defenses neutralized, indigenous loitering munitions like the Nagastra-1 and cruise missiles struck key airbases and terror HQs.

THE FAILURE: PAKISTAN'S DISJOINTED OFFENSIVE

Pakistan's retaliatory "Operation Bunyan al-Marsus" was a strategic and technical failure, exposing a force potent on paper but brittle in practice.

C2 Collapse

Lacking an integrated system like IACCS, the attack was a chaotic, uncoordinated "dumb swarm" that was easily defeated.

Imported Arsenal Failure

A patchwork of Turkish and Chinese drones couldn't network effectively, leading to malfunctions and even friendly fire incidents.

"China Lab" Indictment

The premier Chinese-made HQ-9 air defense system, JF-17 fighters, and PL-15 missiles all failed their first major combat test.