Operation Sindoor Day 2: How India is taking out Pakistani air defence systems | India News

NEW DELHI: India has neutralised Pakistan’s air defence system at Lahore on in retaliation to the military and drone attacks carried out by the neighbouring nation in Northern and Western regions on Wednesday night.It resorted to Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems along with the use of Israeli drones, called Harpy drones to counter Pakistani attacks in areas including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj.Since the commencement of Operation Sindoor, India has deployed a variety of advanced, high-precision long-range strike weapons during, including the SCALP cruise missile, HAMMER precision-guided bombs, and loitering munitions, and now Integrated Counter UAS Grid, Air Defence systems, Harpy drones and S-400 Sudarshan Chakra.India had, however, clarified that during Operation Sindoor, which was “non-escalatory” in nature, no “Pakistani military establishments” had been targeted. It added that “any attack on military targets in India will invite a suitable response”.Meanwhile, after the launch of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has escalated tensions in border regions through intense firing and killing of 16 civilians including five children.

How India used Integrated Counter UAS Grid to destroy Pak’s air defence?

The Integrated Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Grid (ICUG) is a sophisticated and multi-layered defense architecture developed to combat the growing threat posed by hostile drones and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). As drones become more accessible and increasingly used in asymmetric warfare, surveillance, cross-border smuggling, and targeted attacks, the ICUG has emerged as a critical component in safeguarding national security and strategic assets.In a press note, the defence ministry noted, “On the night of 07-08 May 2025, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles. These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from a number of locations that prove the Pakistani attacks.”“Today morning Indian Armed Forces targeted Air Defence Radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan. Indian response has been in the same domain with same intensity as Pakistan. It has been reliably learnt that an Air Defence system at Lahore has been neutralised,” it said.

How Harpy drones were used to target Pak air defence?

The Indian armed forces deployed Harpy drones, specifically engineered to target and destroy radar installations, to neutralize air defence systems in Lahore.The Harpy is a specialized loitering munition designed for the Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) role, with a primary focus on targeting radar systems. Armed with a high-explosive warhead and equipped with an Anti-Radiation (AR) seeker, it autonomously detects and engages enemy radar-emitting assets without external guidance. Capable of operating in deep strike missions for up to nine hours, the Harpy functions effectively in all weather conditions, both day and night, and remains operational even in environments where Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are denied or heavily contested.

Use of S-400 Sudarshan Chakra to counter Pak aggression

The Indian Air Force reportedly activated its S-400 Sudarshan Chakra air defence missile systems to engage aerial threats approaching Indian airspace. The incoming targets were successfully intercepted and neutralised during the operation. An official confirmation from the government is still awaited, ANI reported citing sources.