Question 1: India's multi-layered air defence architecture is built upon integration between missile systems, fighter interceptors, electronic warfare, and radar networks. Consider the following statements in the context of India’s air defence capability:
- The Akash and Barak-8 systems provide a combined defence envelope capable of engaging aerial threats from short to medium range, with both systems using active radar homing guidance.
- The S-400 Triumf’s integration with indigenous systems like Akash and Israeli-origin radars enables seamless tracking and interception of multiple threats across varied altitudes and distances through a networked command-and-control structure.
- India's air defence superiority over Pakistan in the 2019 Balakot aftermath was primarily due to the rapid deployment of man-portable air-defence systems (MANPADS) like Igla-S and tactical use of anti-aircraft artillery.
- The superiority of the S-400 over US-made THAAD and Patriot systems lies in its multi-missile flexibility, faster intercept speeds, shorter deployment time, and 360-degree engagement capability.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Answer: D. 1, 2 and 4 only
Explanation:
Statement 1 – Correct: Akash (indigenous) and Barak-8 (India-Israel) are short-to-medium range SAMs, both employing active radar homing for precision guidance. Their layered deployment strengthens India's defensive grid.
Statement 2 – Correct:India is actively integrating various systems through its Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), enabling real-time data sharing and threat tracking among platforms like S-400, Akash, Barak-8, and indigenous radar systems.
Statement 3 – Incorrect: During the 2019 Balakot aftermath, India’s dominance was due to advanced radar, interception by fighter jets like MiG-21 and Su-30mki, and SAMs, not primarily MANPADS or AAA. MANPADS are tactical and short-range and were not the deciding factor.
Statement 4 – Correct: The S-400’s superiority over systems like THAAD and Patriot is acknowledged due to its multi-tiered missile loadout, higher intercept speed (up to 4.8 km/s), faster deployment (~5 min), and 360-degree radar coverage, unlike the more linear architecture of THAAD.