BEL signs contract with Army for Indigenous Counter-Drone System, secures orders worth Rs 572 crore

The system, developed jointly by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and BEL, marks a significant milestone under the Government of India's Make in India initiative.

The IDDIS is designed to detect, track, and neutralise hostile drones, providing a crucial layer of protection against evolving aerial threats.

"Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), has secured additional orders worth Rs 572 Crores since the last disclosure on 07th April 2025. Major orders received include Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System (IDDIS), Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Data Communication Unit (DCU) for attack guns, AI based solutions for ships, simulators, communication equipment, jammers, spares, services etc," said the press statement from BEL.

Apart from this, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) manufactured and indigenously designed air defence system, Akashteer, has demonstrated its power during Pakistan's drone attacks, neutralising the threats as soon as they enter India's airspace and making it "hell for Pakistan's air adventures."

Akashteer intercepted numerous drones, missiles, micro UAVs, and loitering munitions, emerging as a globally actionable defence asset.

Lauding its effectiveness in real-world conflict, significantly enhancing India's air defence capabilities during recent tensions with Pakistan, BEL on Wednesday stated that the system had performed beyond its expectations, providing robust Air Defence to India during the current conflict.

"BEL is proud to announce that our in-house designed & manufactured Air Defence System, Akashteer, has proved its mettle in the war field. Ground-based Defence Systems integrated with Akashteer made it hell for Pakistan's air adventures," the Navratna Defence PSU stated on X.

"The system performed beyond users' expectations, providing robust Air Defence to India during the current conflict. Akashteer ensures a seamless & unified air situation picture accessible to the lowest operational units of Army AD, enhancing situational awareness across the force," it added.

The Akashteer system, developed under a Rs 1,982 crore contract signed in March 2023, integrates surveillance assets, radar systems, and command units into a unified network, providing seamless situational awareness to the Indian Army's Air Defence units.

Akashteer enables monitoring of low-level airspace over the Indian Army's battle areas and effectively controls Ground-Based Air Defence Weapon Systems.

During the recent conflict following India's 'Operation Sindoor' on May 7, which targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Akashteer neutralised numerous Pakistani drone and missile attacks, ensuring zero casualties and minimal material losses.