South-Asian Battlefield: India and Pakistan's race for Layered Defense

 In the post-May 2025 Bunyan-ul-Marsoos standoff developments, India and Pakistan have increased their emphasis on multi-layered air-defence networks. Both have their own emphasis and origin of air defense architectures. India's system combines Russian long-range interceptors, Israeli medium-range systems, and indigenous weapons — from the S-400 and Barak-8/MRSAM down to Akash and QRSAM — tied together by the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) and the Army's Akashteer network, which allows a track detected by one sensor to be handed off to the optimal interceptor across services. Pakistan's system, on the other hand, centres on a Chinese-origin backbone: the longrange HQ-9/P forms the outer layer against aircraft and stand-off weapons; the mobile LY-80 covers the medium layer for military formations and bases; and the FM-90 provides close-in defence against low-level threats. These layers are tied together by PAF's radar network and airborne early-warning (AEW) aircraft, allowing fighters and missile batteries to share a single air picture and coordinate engagements. 

The May 2025 Bunyan-ul-Marsoos provided a test case of India and Pakistan's airdefense networks. The conflict demonstrated that modern air operations are shaped by long-range weapons, electronic warfare, drones and networked sensors rather than direct aerial engagements. One of the major outcomes deduced was the significance of detection and situational awareness. Both adversaries depended highly on groundbased radars, airborne surveillance and other sensors to identify and track incoming aircraft and weapons. However, it was learnt that early warning provides the interceptors time to engage. A network's effectiveness depends more on detection rather than the range of its missiles. 

The New Threat Modern air defense initiates before a missile is launched. In the warfare scenario, the side that detects an incoming threat earlier has more time to identify it, select responses and engage it. This makes ground-based radars, airborne early-warning and control aircraft (AWACS) and command networks central to air operations. Radars detect the threat, while AWACS extend the surveillance especially for low-level or distant targets. Command networks then connect these sensors to fighters and surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, creating a shared air picture so the right weapon engages each threat. The real competition is therefore transforming towards who can see first, track more accurately and maintain connectivity under a threat scenario. 

A missile system becomes less effective if its radar, communications or command network gets disrupted. Similarly, destroying individual sensors may not be enough if another sensor can quickly replace their coverage. This makes electronic warfare (EW) another critical layer. Jamming, interference and deception can disrupt radars and communications without destroying them. Therefore, India and Pakistan are required not just to protect their systems, but the networks that connect them. 

Radar, AWACS and Networks Modern air-defence networks are facing a wider range of threats than conventional aircraft. Drones, cruise missiles and loitering munitions have capabilities at different speeds, altitudes and directions, making detection and interception more difficult for air defense systems. 

As demonstrated in the Iran-US conflict, India and Pakistan are looking forward to strengthening their air-defense capabilities through defense partnerships. India's defense cooperation involves Russia, Israel and the US, while Pakistan partners with China and is increasingly expanding its cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye through the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. Drones have become particularly important because of their low cost and flexibility. They can conduct surveillance, identify air-defense positions, act as decoys or carry explosives. Their relatively low cost creates an economic challenge for defenders, as using high-range surface-to-air missiles against inexpensive UAVs can quickly exhaust the air-defense systems. This pushes both India and Pakistan towards adopting dedicated counter-drone systems and cheaper interception methods. Loitering munitions add another dimension. Unlike ballistic missiles, they loiter over an area before selecting a target. This gives them the ability to surveil radar sites, missile batteries and other high-value elements of an air-defence network. Reportedly, during Bunyan-ul-Marsoos, India used Israeli-made HAROP loitering munitions to target Pakistani air-defence sites, that were intercepted and neutralized using both soft-kill and hard-kill measures by Pakistan around Lahore, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, and Karachi. 

Comparative Assessment Pakistan is expanding its air-defence network in response to the growing use of standoff weapons and loitering munitions. Reports signal that Islamabad is pursuing additional Chinese long- and medium-range SAM systems, including the HQ-9 and HQ16, to increase the penetration and range of its existing network. At the same time, Pakistan is deepening cooperation with Türkiye in UAVs, aerospace and emerging technologies, including engagement with its UAV-manufacturing company Baykar. 

The goal is to build a more layered network capable of detecting and countering threats at greater ranges while improving counter-UAS and electronic-warfare capabilities. Pakistan also pursues greater indigenous production to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. State-owned Global Industrial & Defence Solutions (GIDS) has developed systems including the Spider anti-UAV system, which combines drone detection, direction finding, RF/GNSS jamming and electronic interception. GIDS also produced Shahpar-II/III UAVs and the Yalghar loitering munition, signalling that Pakistan prepares for both the threat and counter-threat sides of unmanned warfare. On the other hand, India also seeks to expand its UAV network. Recently, the US-based General Atomics supplied MQ-9B systems, while Adani Defense–Elbit Systems produced Hermes UAVs in India. Domestic companies such as ideaForge and NewSpace Research & Technologies are also developing military drones. Indian indigenous firms such as Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) support indigenous radar and missile production, while BEL produces counter-drone systems. 

According to assessments, the next phase of the India–Pakistan air competition shall focus on network resilience, counter-UAS, electronic warfare (EW) and cost-effective interception rather than missile range and pre-emptive striking. The advantage will ultimately go to the side that can detect threats earlier, respond at lower cost and safeguard its network under a sustained attack