NEW DELHI: The Indian Army has begun the induction of the indigenous Akashteer system to boost its air defence capabilities, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday. The automated air defence control and reporting system will allow the army’s air defence units to operate in an integrated manner.

The development came almost a year after the defence ministry signed a ₹1,982-crore contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to sharpen the army’s air defence capabilities with the new system.

It will enable the army to monitor low-level airspace over battle areas and effectively control the ground-based air defence weapon systems.

“The deployment of Akashteer has begun with the flagging off of the first batch of control centres from BEL Ghaziabad on Thursday. It is a significant move towards enhancing India’s defence capabilities and technology absorption,” said one of the officials cited above.

It will enhance the operational efficiency and integration of the army’s air defence mechanisms by digitising the entire process, said a second official. The induction comes in a year designated by the army as the “Year of Tech Absorption.”

“Induction of Akashteer is one of the major milestones achieved by the Indian Army on its path to transformation that will meet the current and futuristic requirements of complex air defence operations,” he said.

The development came on a day the Indian Army revealed plans to boost the ongoing atmanirbharta drive by setting up specialised Army Design Bureau (ADB) cells at various command headquarters, with the organisational restructuring aimed at absorption of niche technology for capability development.

By integrating radar and communication systems at all levels into a unified network, Akashteer aims to deliver an unprecedented level of situational awareness and control; enabling swift engagement of hostile targets, and significantly reduce the risk of fratricide, and ensuring the safety of friendly aircraft in contested airspace, the officials said.

“A noteworthy aspect of Akashteer is its emphasis on mobility and resilience. The system’s control centres, which are vehicle-based, can maintain operational capabilities even in challenging communication environments. The system will facilitate the complete automation of air defence operations and significantly enhance the air defence posture of India,” said the first official.