LLAD guns

LLAD guns are the low-level gun layer of Indian air defense, including legacy anti-aircraft autocannon families used for point defense against low-flying aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions. During the 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict, Indian official reporting identified LLAD guns among the systems used with MANPADS and longer-range surface-to-air missiles to counter Pakistani drone and loitering-munition attacks.

2025 India-Pakistan ConflictIndia

Conflict side: India
Built by: Various manufacturersBoforsBAE Systems BoforsSoviet state arsenalsRussian defense industry
Built in: Multiple, including Sweden and the Soviet UnionRussia

LLAD guns, Low-level air-defense gun layer, Air Defense

Image source: Indian Army Upgraded Bofors L70 Gun

Profile

Type: Low-level air-defense gun layer
Conflict side: India
Origin: Multiple; Indian service includes Swedish- and Soviet-origin gun families
Service note: Cold War gun systems modernized for contemporary point air defense

air defense counter-uav

Service History

In service: Indian low-level air-defense gun layer in service during Operation Sindoor
Used by: Indian Army Air Defence
Wars: 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict

Production History

Designer: Multiple gun designers; Bofors and Soviet design bureaus for representative in-service families
Designed: Postwar and Cold War low-level air-defense gun designs
Built by: Various manufacturersBoforsBAE Systems BoforsSoviet state arsenalsRussian defense industry
Built in: Multiple, including Sweden and the Soviet UnionRussia
Unit cost: Not publicly standardized across LLAD gun families and upgrades
Produced: Varies by gun family and upgrade program
Number built: Not publicly standardized across the LLAD gun layer
Variants: Bofors L/70 40 mm gun, 23 mm twin-barrel air-defense gun

Specifications

Role: Point defense against low-altitude aircraft, helicopters, drones, and loitering munitions
Representative armament: 40 mm L/70 autocannon and 23 mm twin-barrel anti-aircraft guns in Indian service
Bofors L/70 caliber: 40 mm L/70
Bofors L/70 rate of fire: Up to about 300 rounds per minute in modernized variants
Bofors L/70 maximum range: About 12,500 m maximum firing range
23 mm twin-barrel role: Manual, mobile low-level air-defense gun upgraded in Indian service with improved sighting and electric laying

Conflict Usage

2025 India-Pakistan Conflict: Side: IndiaRole: Point air defense against drones and loitering munitionsair defense counter-uav
Indian Army air-defense units fielded low-level air-defense guns as part of the layered Operation Sindoor air-defense network countering Pakistani drones and loitering munitions.

LLAD guns Images

LLAD guns, Low-level air-defense gun layer, Air Defense - view 1 — Source: Indian Army Upgraded Bofors L70 Gun

LLAD guns, Low-level air-defense gun layer, Air Defense - view 2 — Source: Bofors 40 mm L70 Anti Aircraft Gun

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Sources

Operation SINDOOR: Forging One ForcePublisher: Press Information Bureau, Government of India | Note: Supports 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict direct use: LLAD guns were fielded by Indian Army air-defense units with MANPADS and long-range SAMs to counter drones and loitering munitions launched by Pakistan. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Operation SINDOOR: The Rise of Aatmanirbhar Innovation in DefencePublisher: Press Information Bureau, Government of India | Note: Supports 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict direct use: LLAD guns were used by India as part of Operation Sindoor air defense alongside Pechora, OSA-AK, and Akash systems. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Air Defence Guns - Current and Future RelevancePublisher: SP's Land Forces | Note: Supports background on Indian low-level air-defense guns, including in-service L/70 and 23 mm twin-barrel gun context and modernization needs. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Bofors 40 Mk4 DatasheetPublisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports representative 40 mm L/70 technical context, including caliber, maximum range, rate of fire, elevation, and ammunition options for the modern Bofors L/70 family. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Indian Army Upgraded Bofors L70 GunPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the primary LLAD representative image; Commons lists the Indian Army upgraded Bofors L70 gun image under CC0 1.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Bofors 40 mm L70 Anti Aircraft GunPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for an additional Bofors L/70 gallery view; Commons identifies it as an own-work image of a preserved Bofors 40 mm L/70 gun. | Accessed: 2026-06-21