Architecture of Ground-Based Air Defence Systems: Indigenisation and Evolution of Air Defence Concepts

While the IAF is mandated by the ‘Union War Book’ for the AD of the country, the AD equipment is operated by the Indian Army (IA) and Indian Navy (IN) also, in large numbers. The complete architecture of ground-based AD is quite complex, comprising the equipment and organisation of all three Services. In fact, in a new networked environment, even the sensors of civil aviation add to this architecture. India has many successful stories of indigenisation in the field of air defence, from radars, communication, AEWs and IACCS, etc. This chapter brings out the evolution and development of the air defence environment in the Indian context. The chapter also highlights the basics of air defence functioning for better appreciation, particularly for people from non-aviation backgrounds. In brief, the functions of air defence comprise Detection, Identification, Interception and Destruction. The entire AD machinery revolves around these four functions. Most of these are at work on 24×7 basis, even during peace-time, barring that ‘destruction’ is generally not done in peace-time unless it is an extremely emergent and unusual event. One such incident was the shooting down of the PAF ‘Atlantique’ that had strayed into Indian territory in 1999.