Israel has a three-layer air defense system. The first layer, the Arrow missile system, forms the outermost envelope intended to destroy enemy missiles coming from outside the Earth’s atmosphere. The second is a 300 km envelope within the atmosphere, created by David’s sling. The innermost envelope is formed by the Iron Dome with Tamir interceptor missiles.
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In a world where threats from the air come from missiles, drones, and other projectiles, it is important to have an equally comprehensive air defense system.
Israel’s ally, the United States, is also developing its own Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to counter short- and intermediate-range missile threats. India has emerged as one of Asia’s top military powers and should make it a reality. There needs to be a more detailed conversation about India having a comprehensive air defense shield as well. All the more so given the nature of the neighborhood. But to make that conversation more fruitful, attention needs to be paid to various strategic, tactical and economic aspects. Because simply copying the Israeli model may not be ideal for India.
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh echoed this sentiment on Friday while answering a question on India’s air defense at a press conference. “The combination of systems we have already procured and systems currently under development will create a fairly capable air defense system.”
He also stressed the importance of prioritizing, adding: “It is true that if we have to protect the whole country, we will need far more of them.” With the current numbers, we must prioritize the critical areas that need to be protected. ”
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strategic factors
All of a sudden, India’s requirements are clearly different from Israel’s. It would be a big mistake to simply compare India and Israel. India has two major nuclear-armed states as enemies, but Israel does not. India has vast territory to protect, and Israel does not. Importantly, India has its own political dynamics that are not reflected in Israel.
Israel is a small country with an area of approximately 22,000 square kilometers, and excluding the occupied territories of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Golan Heights, its net effective area is less than 14,000 square kilometers. Take into account that most of Israel’s population is settled in northern and central Israel, and areas where the Covenant needs further protection.
India is 300 times larger in area and 140 times more populous than Israel. India’s air defense requirements and volume of defense will be much larger and much more diverse. India will not need to protect the entire country with anti-missile defenses, but will need to prioritize vulnerable regions and cities.
Threat perception also plays a key role in designing a suitable air defense for India. The tactical and strategic threats emanating from India’s two hostile neighbors, China and Pakistan, are different. Unless there is a full-scale war, the threat of rockets and projectiles will always be present in Israel, unlike in India.
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expensive affair
The key factor in implementing such a system is simply its cost.
Spoiler. It’s not cheap. The cost of a single missile interception for the Tamir, David’s Sling, and Arrow missile systems is reportedly close to $150,000, $800,000, and $3.5 million, respectively. This does not include research and development costs, which are primarily borne by the United States.
The total cost of intercepting the Iron Dome defense system since October 7 of last year has reached approximately $6 billion. In contrast, India’s overall defense budget for 2024-2025 is less than $75 billion, the bulk of which will go to civilian personnel and pensions. India, with its vast area and diverse defense requirements, cannot afford such expensive systems. The only solution is to develop lower-cost alternatives that fit India’s strategic objectives.
Status check
The good news is that it’s starting to happen.
Until a decade ago, India’s entire air defense system consisted of 70-80 year old outdated missiles such as the S-125M Pechora, SAM8 OSA-AK, SAM-6 Kvadrat, SA-13 Strela 10M, and human-portable aircraft. It was system dependent. Igra-like defense system.
While it is discouraging to see the country still operating old gun systems such as the L-70, Zu-23mm twin guns, and ZSU-23mm self-propelled Shilka in anticipation of modernization, there is a silver lining. Old artillery systems are being systematically phased out and replaced with more durable missile systems.
India has procured systems such as Spyder, Barak and S-400 and developed Akash and QRSAM on its own. It has Prithvi Air Defense (PAD) for extra-atmospheric interception. Medium range (100 km and above) is equipped with Advanced Air Defense (AAD) missiles and the newly introduced S-400 range. For lower range and quick reaction interception, it currently has missiles such as Barak-8, Aakash, and Spyder, as well as some older but effective systems integrated with new radars.
Currently, India is also license producing various next-generation surface-to-air missiles such as MRSAM and LRSAM under Make in India. The indigenous anti-ballistic missile system has completed all tests and is on the verge of being introduced into the arsenal of the country’s armed forces.
What is on the radar?
Radars and sensors form the backbone of any air defense system and ballistic missile defense. Recently, India has not only developed its own but also imported some of the most advanced radars to detect and track incoming objects. These include an indigenously developed long-range tracking radar that can detect objects more than 1,500 km away and guide missiles to them.
India has established an overlapping grid of radar systems to address long-range, medium-range and short-range threats across altitudes by integrating Army, Navy and Air Force surveillance radars.
All these radars are connected to the air defense operations control managed by the Indian Air Force and provide real-time aerial imagery. A key area for improvement is command, control, and reporting systems. As for air defense, it is divided into three branches: Army, Navy, and Air Force, which are physically integrated but lack true synergy. To fight modern wars, unified and secure data links across services are essential.
Today, India has certainly become better able to deal with threats, but the country cannot rest and must maintain its momentum, which requires strong political will.
