In the Sindoor campaign against Pakistan, India used many modern domestically manufactured weapons, affirming its increasingly high autonomy in the field of defense technology.
Speaking on May 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the success of the campaign, stressing: "In this campaign, the reliability of "Made in India" weapons has been strongly affirmed."
BrahMos - a high-speed attack weapon
BrahMos is one of the fastest hypersonic cruise missiles in the world, flying at nearly three times the speed of sound (Mach 2.8). The missile is manufactured by the BrahMos Aerospace joint venture - in collaboration between the Defense Research and Development Organization of India (DRDO) and Russian company NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
BrahMos can be launched from subs captains, warships, aircraft and land launchers. India has tested and fully equipped these missile versions. In 2019, BrahMos' range was increased to 450 km, making India the first country to integrate long-range missiles into the Sukhoi 30 fighter.
India has also exported BrahMos missiles, including a $375 million contract with the Philippines signed in 2022. Currently, India is developing the BrahMos-II supersonic version, using scramjet technology (ultra-sonic static force) to attack targets that are solid and located deep underground.
A new production and testing plant for BrahMos has recently opened in Lucknow, capable of producing 100-150 missiles per year. India also has two other manufacturing facilities in Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram.
Akash missile - India's air defense shield
Akash is a short-range anti-aircraft missile developed by DRDO and manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL). Akash plays an important role in India's multi-layered air defense system, especially effective in preventing Pakistan airstrikes.
The Akash missile can simultaneously attack four air targets within a range of 25 km while the upgraded Akash-NG version has a longer range, from 70-80 km. This system is also capable of electronic harassment resistance, resisting other devices that cause harassment.
Designed for easy deployment on mobile vehicles, the Akash missile can be deployed conveniently, intercepting missiles, drones and manned aircraft.
In 2022, India signed a contract to export 15 Akash packs to Ukraine. Brazil and Egypt are also interested in the missile.
D4 drone destruction system
In the Sindoor Campaign, India used the D4 drone anti-aircraft system developed by DRDO to deal with drone teams from Pakistan.
The D4 system uses electronic jamming technology and signal deception to disable drones, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UCAVs).
The D4 also has a laser destruction mechanism, although it is unclear whether this feature will be used in the latest campaign. This system integrates radar, radio frequency sensor and infrared/ electronic sat screen camera to detect 360-degree targets.
Several DRDO laboratories in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Dehradun have jointly developed the system.
