Following Operation Sindoor, Pakistan reportedly deployed swarm drone tactics in a strike targeting an Indian military installation.The assault extended beyond a single site, with key military installations and several strategic cities coming under attack—including Awanti pora, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathan kot, Amritsar, Ludhiana, and even as far as Bhuj.Pakistani forces orchestrated a coordinated, multi-wave offensive that involved both drones and missiles, marking a significant escalation in cross-border hostilities.In response to the growing aerial threat, India activated its advanced Russian-made S-400 missile defense system, and the Akash for Loitering Drones which is specifically designed to intercept high-speed, long-range missiles.Complementing this was the deployment of India’s indigenous Akash missile system, engineered to effectively target slower-moving threats such as loitering munitions and drones.These two systems worked in tandem, creating a layered defense network capable of responding to a wide range of aerial threats.While the S-400 is tailored to neutralize larger and faster ballistic or cruise missiles,the Akash system serves a critical role in countering lower-speed targets, including swarming drones and low-altitude ammunition.Together, they underscore India’s strategic focus on maintaining versatile air defense capabilities amid an increasingly complex threat environment.Akash is a supersonic missile capable of flying at speeds up to Mach 2.5—that’s more than two and a half times the speed of sound.With a range of 25 to 30 kilometers, it can engage targets long before they pose a threat.Pakistan, on the other hand, uses the Chinese-made H Q-9, which is essentially a reverse-engineered version of the Russian S-300, not the S-400 as sometimes mistakenly stated.Let’s take a look at the primary differences between the two systems.The S-400 features an impressive tracking range of 600 kilometers approximately 370 miles and an engagement range of 400 kilometers which translates to around 250 miles.In comparison, the HQ-9 has a tracking range of 250 kilometers about 155 miles and an engagement range of 120 kilometers this is roughly around 75 miles.