Why in the News?

The Indian Army has initiated procurement of ‘Saksham’, an indigenously developed Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid, to enhance airspace security and counter emerging aerial threats.

Indian Army inducts ‘Saksham’ Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid — Visual Representation

About Saksham Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid:

Overview: Indigenous counter-drone system developed by the Indian Army with BEL, Ghaziabad, to detect, track, identify, and neutralise unmanned aerial threats.
Purpose: Secures the Tactical Battlefield Space (TBS) or Air Littoral—airspace up to 3,000 m (10,000 ft) against low-altitude drones.
Origin: Conceived after Operation Sindoor, which revealed gaps in air defence.
Acronym: SAKSHAM – Situational Awareness for Kinetic Soft & Hard Kill Assets Management; a Command-and-Control (C2) platform integrating sensors, weapons, and AI analytics to create a Recognised UAS Picture (RUASP).
Procurement: Approved under Fast Track Procurement (FTP); aligns with Atmanirbhar Bharat and the Army’s Decade of Transformation (2023–2032).

Key Features:

Detection & Tracking: Continuous surveillance via radar, radio-frequency, and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors.
AI-Enabled Prediction: Uses AI to forecast hostile activity and suggest counter-responses.
Sensor–Weapon Fusion: Integrates jammers, directed-energy systems, and kinetic interceptors for unified action.
Automated Command Support: Provides real-time decision aids for threat prioritisation.
3-D Airspace Visualisation: Displays dynamic views of friendly and hostile assets.
Network Integration: Runs on the Army Data Network (ADN) and links with Akashteer Air Defence Control for unified airspace management.
Mobility & Modularity: Compact, scalable, and rapidly deployable across terrains.
Indigenous Focus: Fully designed and produced in India, demonstrating advanced self-reliant defence capability.

[UPSC 2025] With reference to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), consider the following statements:

I. All types of UAVs can do vertical landing. II. All types of UAVs can do automated hovering. III. All types of UAVs can use battery only as a source of power supply.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All the three (d) None*

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