Indian Army Fast-Tracks AI-Powered SAKSHAM Procurement to Unify Real-Time Counter-UAS Ops in Tactical Airspace

Raj Basu

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In a decisive move to counter the proliferation of aerial threats, the Indian Army has accelerated the induction of SAKSHAM (Situational Awareness for Kinetic Soft and Hard Kill Assets Management), a fully indigenous command-and-control system.

Developed in partnership with the state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), this advanced platform is set to revolutionise how the Army manages drone threats by creating a unified, real-time defence grid.

Securing the Tactical Battlefield Space​The procurement marks a strategic shift in the Army's operational philosophy, specifically targeting the newly defined Tactical Battlefield Space (TBS).

While traditional surveillance focused on higher altitudes, the TBS concept prioritises the "Air Littoral"—the airspace extending up to 3,000 metres (approximately 10,000 feet) above the ground.

This zone has increasingly become the preferred domain for loitering munitions, quadcopters, and other low-flying unmanned systems in modern conflicts.