India’s S-400 washes out Pakistan's missile attacks; HARPY drones knock out enemy radars

According to media reports Thursday, the S-400 — referred to by the Indian military as Sudarshan Chakra — was first used late Wednesday night to intercept and destroy 15 missiles launched by Pakistan at Indian cities.

Following the interceptions, Israeli-made HARPY drones were deployed to disable Pakistani air defence radars, including one in Lahore.

Sources told ANI that the Air Force successfully fired the S-400 at “moving targets” headed towards Indian airspace and neutralised them. Subsequently, HARPY drones were launched to target and cripple Pakistani radar systems.

Earlier Thursday, the government said Pakistani forces attempted to strike military installations in 15 Indian cities, mostly in the country’s northern and western sectors. These efforts, it said, were thwarted and met with a counterstrike that disabled Pakistan’s air defence capabilities.

The Defence Ministry also stated that debris from the intercepted missiles and destroyed drones is being recovered and will serve as additional evidence in India's case against Pakistan, which it accuses of sponsoring cross-border terrorism — through both material support and militant training.

These developments come a day after Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 civilians dead. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in a briefing to opposition leaders Thursday morning, said nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were destroyed and over 100 militants eliminated.

S-400 and HARPY: Tactical edge

The S-400 air defence system, called Sudarshan Chakra by the Indian military, is capable of tracking incoming missiles up to 600 km away and neutralising them within a 400-km range. India procured five squadrons of the system under a ₹35,000 crore deal with Russia.

Three have been delivered and deployed along the borders with Pakistan and China, while two more are expected by 2026.

The remaining deliveries have been delayed due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the HARPY drone, developed by Israel, is specifically designed for Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) missions.

It carries a high-explosive payload and can autonomously home in on radar-emitting targets, striking from multiple angles and operating for up to nine hours, day or night.