The S-400 “Sudarshan Chakra” air defense missile systems of the Indian Air Force successfully intercepted numerous aerial threats aimed at Indian military facilities on the night of May 7–8, defeating Pakistani drones and missiles.
These cutting-edge systems were launched as part of India’s defensive operations, according to official reports, to neutralize incoming threats directed at 15 military targets in northern and western India, including important bases in Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Phalodi, and Bhuj.
One of the world’s most sophisticated long-range air defense systems is the S-400 Triumf, also referred to as Sudarshan Chakra in IAF service. It was constructed by Russia and is part of India’s strategic air defense command. It can identify and combat a variety of airborne threats, such as drones, tactical ballistic missiles, stealth aircraft, and cruise missiles.
How does S-400 operates?
Using a network of multi-band phased array radars, the system provides 360-degree surveillance and can track up to 300 objects at once at a distance of up to 600 kilometers. The command center chooses the best weapon from its tiered arsenal and launches it once threats are discovered. Each missile is extremely resistant to jamming and electronic warfare because it combines inertial, active, and passive homing technology.
Under live battle situations, the S-400 may launch missiles that are geared to intercept threats at different ranges and engage up to 36 targets simultaneously. These include the 48N6DM (up to 250 km), the 40N6 (up to 400 km) for targets that are far away, and the 9M96E/E2 (up to 120 km), which are intended to destroy swift, nimble platforms like fighter planes or precision-guided missiles. Up to 30 km in height, the system provides strong defense against ballistic threats that fly high. India’s Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems, which were anchored by the S-400, effectively neutralized incoming threats during the Pakistani attack.
The attempted cross-border strikes were verified by debris found at many locations. Later, Indian government officials said that “an Air Defence system at Lahore has been neutralised,” highlighting the accuracy and effectiveness of India’s air defenses as a deterrence.
In India’s multi-tiered air defense network, the S-400 is an essential layer due to its mobility, electronic resilience, and interaction with domestic systems such as the Akash missile system.
It has shown an 80% kill rate in exercises against adversary aircraft mimicked using stealth profiles, and its performance in the real world has now confirmed those figures under live fire.
This successful interception by the S-400 “Sudarshan Chakra” system is not just a triumph of technology, but a declaration of India’s unwavering resolve. In a region where enemies continue to test our patience with proxy warfare and cowardly cross-border aggression, India has responded not with words, but with precision and strength.
Let there be no doubt: the days of silent suffering are over. Every inch of our sky, every heartbeat of our armed forces, and every citizen’s safety is guarded by a wall of steel, strategy, and sacrifice. The Pakistani establishment’s misadventures have met a new reality — a nation that does not blink in the face of threats, and a defense force that fights with the eyes of a hawk and the fist of a thunderstorm.
As India marches forward — with satellites in space, startups on the rise, and soldiers like sentinels — the message to those who plot in the shadows is loud and clear: India will not be provoked, but it will never be defeated. Jai Hind.
