India has strengthened its air defence shield by inducting new batches of Igla-S missiles — portable, shoulder-fired systems designed to neutralize low-flying enemy aircraft, drones, and helicopters.
Key Highlights
- Missile Type: Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS)
- Supplier: Russia
- Contract Value: ₹260 crore
- Procurement Mode: Emergency procurement powers granted by the Government of India
- Recipient: Indian Army
- Deployment: Forward formations, especially along the western border
Technical Features of Igla-S
- System Type: Man-portable, shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile (SAM)
- Guidance: Infrared (IR) homing — locks onto the heat signature of aerial targets
- Effective Range: Up to 6 km
- Engagement Altitude: Up to 3.5 km
- Key Targets:
- Fighter aircraft
- Helicopters
- Drones (including small and fast-moving ones)
- Advantages over older models:
- Improved seeker accuracy
- Better resistance to countermeasures
- More effective against modern aerial threats
- Additional Measure: Old Igla stockpiles have been refurbished domestically to extend service life.
Strategic Importance
- Context: Heightened border security post-April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
- Drone Threats: Increasing drone reconnaissance & attacks, notably from Pakistan.
- Indian Army Response:
- Tender floated for 48 more launchers + ~90 missiles (VSHORADS IR) under fast-track procurement.
- Indian Air Force (IAF) also upgrading its air defence network with similar acquisitions.
Other Counter-Drone Measures
- Integrated Drone Detection & Interdiction System (IDD&IS):
- Indigenous system
- Detects, jams, spoofs, and neutralizes drones at over 8 km range
- Equipped with lasers to physically destroy drones
- Recent Success:
- Pakistani Army drone shot down near the 16 Corps zone, Jammu by an Indian Army Air Defence unit.
Future of India’s Air Defence
- DRDO projects: Developing longer-range directed energy weapons to target UAVs, cruise missiles, and aircraft.
- Upcoming acquisitions: Low-level transportable radars for better detection of low-flying threats under radar cover.