India Upgrades Command System After Operation Sindoor to Integrate New Air Defence Platforms

India is upgrading and modernising its air force’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) that came into the spotlight during Operation Sindoor a year ago.

The IACCS is now witnessing an accelerated revamp to bring it up to date for providing an impregnable air defence shield to the Indian skies.

In this regard, the IAF has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP), or just a tender in common parlance, to an Indian state-run company to relocate and refurbish the system with new components and equipment.

The revamp is “to mitigate single point of failure” at the Networked Tactical Nodes (NTN) in the IACCS equipment at seven locations across India, according to the RFP.

The NTNs are a critical operational element in the IAF’s air defence network and form part of the control and reporting structure, integrating airborne sensors, ground-based radars, and weapon systems.

The NTNs enable seamless data fusion to create a networked, real-time air situation picture for faster decision-making and coordinated responses of the air defence systems.

Apart from the IAF’s air defence systems, the IACCS also integrates the Army’s Akashteer and the Navy’s Trigun air defence systems for a coordinated operational response to aerial threats faced by India.

The IACCS was effectively used by India during the 88-hour Operation Sindoor in May 2025 to defend the Indian skies from Pakistan’s missile and drone attacks.

The IACCS had effectively detected and neutralised several hundred drones and missiles launched by Pakistan against civilian and military infrastructure during the military operations to avenge the killing of 26 innocent civilians during the Pahalgam terror attacks in April 2025.

The system, developed by Defence Public Sector Undertaking Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), is a highly automated defence mechanism that rides on the Air Force Network (AFNET), a secure digital communication channel of the IAF.

The IAF had commissioned the IACCS in 2011, focused on the western borders with Pakistan in the first phase. In the second phase, the IACCS was expanded to cover other parts of India, including the island territories.

At present, the third phase of IACCS expansion is underway, and it has been accelerated after Operation Sindoor to focus on multi-domain operations involving air, space, and cyber threats.

In the third phase, the IACCS would also witness integration of Artificial Intelligence for threat evaluation and prioritisation, with enhanced sensor fusion, long-range threat handling, improved sensor-to-shooter loop for beyond visual range engagements.

The IACCS would have upgraded drone and counter-drone capability and greater armed forces connectivity and coordination. The revamp of the IACCS is being carried out in view of the changing nature of warfare globally, where swarm drones, stealth aircraft, and stand-off missiles have proliferated.

The Indian armed forces are now procuring multiple long-range and medium-range radars, surface-to-air missiles, airborne surveillance platforms, and anti-drone systems to ramp up the air defence cover over Indian skies and these new systems need to be integrated into the IACCS.