New Delhi: The Indian Army has initiated procurement of the indigenous 'SAKSHAM' Counter Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid, a cutting-edge command and control network designed to detect, track, identify, and neutralise enemy drones in real time.

According to sources within the Army, SAKSHAM (Situational Awareness for Kinetic Soft and Hard Kill Assets Management) represents a major leap in integrated airspace control.

Developed in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Ghaziabad, the system operates on the secure Army Data Network (ADN) and provides a unified "Recognised UAS Picture" across the newly defined Tactical Battlefield Space (TBS) - a domain extending up to 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) above ground level.

The concept of the TBS evolved after Operation Sindoor, India's cross-border strike following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, when increased drone incursions exposed the need for real-time airspace management.

"The modern battlefield is no longer confined to the ground," a senior officer said. "Control of the Air Littoral - the airspace immediately above troops - is now critical to tactical dominance," the officer added.