L-70 Guns Take Frontline Role As India Activates Aerial Shield Against Pakistani Drone Attacks

As border hostilities intensified Thursday (8 May) evening with Pakistani drone attacks, India rolled out its complete array of anti-drone and low-altitude air defence assets, including the S-400, upgraded Bofors L-70 guns, and Soviet-origin Schilka systems to counter the aerial threats.

The deployment comes in response to a wave of drone and missile strikes from across the border, with explosions reported in Jammu and Jaisalmer, and artillery fire in Samba, Tangdhar, and Akhnoor.

After the successful interception of eight missiles by India’s S-400 air defence system, the armed forces have now activated a layered aerial shield, deploying close-range systems better suited to repel low-altitude UAVs and swarming drone tactics.

L-70 Anti-Aircraft Gun
Developed originally by Sweden’s Bofors and now manufactured in India under licence, the L-70 40mm gun has been significantly upgraded with radar, electro-optical sensors, and auto-tracking systems.

The gun can fire 240–330 rounds per minute up to 4 km, and is now a front-line defence against radar-dodging drone swarms.

In anti-drone warfare, it saturates the sky with predictive fire, making it highly effective against swarm attacks or drones attempting to evade radar.

The upgraded L/70 incorporates various modern technologies:

• Electrical Servo Drives: Replace hydraulic drives for more precise and efficient control. 

• Electro-Optical Fire Control System: Improved target acquisition and tracking capabilities. 

• Radar: Integrated radar systems for target detection and tracking, including a new X-band radar for autonomous drone detection. 

• Auto-Tracking: Automatic target acquisition and tracking under all weather conditions. 

• Video Tracking: Enables visual confirmation of targets for more accurate firing. 

India has inducted over 1,000 L70 guns, making it the most widely used air defense gun in the armed forces.

ZSU-23-4 Schilka

The Russian-origin Schilka, mounted on a tracked platform with four 23mm guns, uses radar that scans targets up to 20 km. It’s now upgraded with fire-control tech and fuse-based rounds to counter drone incursions with lethal efficiency.

Capable of firing 4,000 rounds per minute, the Schilka now uses proximity-fuse shells and precision tracking, making it a formidable shield against drones, helicopters, and even mobile threats like light armoured vehicles.

Also Read: Pakistani Drone Attacks Repulsed, Befitting Reply Given To Ceasefire Violations: Indian Army