Move follows Pak’s use of 300-400 UAVs during Operation Sindoor; focus on tactical, long-range & high-altitude capabilities

Faced with the possibility that Pakistan could field a greater number of drones in future conflicts, the Indian Army has charted course to have three types of drones in its arsenal.

The Army has factored in the threat that Turkiye and China provided their best drones to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor in May last year. A senior official said, “The assistance of high-end drone technology given to Pakistan from these two countries has been factored in for ramping up own drone arsenal for future conflict.”

The Army’s thrust for offensive (or strike) options includes small drones for tactical use needed for immediate surveillance and attack within 10-15 kms; one-way attack drones that can hit targets 150 kms away; and high-altitude drones for surveillance and launching long-range pinpointed attack.

In April this year, the Army released a landmark document titled ‘Indian Army’s Technology Roadmap for Unmanned Aerial Systems and Loitering Munitions’, listing the long-term requirement for UAV’s. The document identified as many as 30 types of UAV’s and loitering munitions across five categories — strike, surveillance, air defence, special roles and logistics. The document lays down technological and operational priorities.

The Army is tasked with surveillance within 35 km of the borders and up to three kilometres in heights along the China and Pakistan frontier. It is also building capacity to operate around 10,000 drones in the western theatre.

The changes have been incorporated after Pakistan launched drone intrusions from Ladakh to Sir Creek on the night of May 8-9 in 2025, targeting 36 locations with over 300-400 drones. Drones emerged as a core battlefield tool, and the Army has since made them a part of its structure and procurement rather than a niche capability.

In August, the Army announced the raising of a dedicated battalion for drone operations along the western front with Pakistan. ‘Baaz’ operates under the command of the Army’s 11 Corps, headquartered in Jalandhar, Punjab.

Additionally, the Army now has 25-man drone-platoons in all the 380 infantry battalions which operate surveillance, combat, logistics and kamikaze drones. Artillery and Armoured units operate their own drones from target locating. In another initiative in March, the Army base workshops started indigenous drone manufacturing. A pact was signed with Nautical Wings Aerospace, a Bengaluru-based startup specialising in advanced electric propulsion systems, vertical lift solutions, brushless direct current (BLDC) motors and composite structures for UAVs. This is to reduce dependence on foreign technology in autonomous platforms.

Small drones are used by units in the immediate battle space. These have capacities of upto 5 kg payload and are handy for precision strikes and surveillance. The one-way attack drones is the fastest-growing category. The Army signed Rs 1,577 crore contracts with Tata Advanced Systems and Nibe Defence for 840 domestically produced one-way attack drones, its first major purchase of such systems under fast-track procurement. For the Himalayan borders, the emphasis is on high-altitude long endurance. The Army has a share in the 31 MQ9B drone which the Ministry of Defence is procuring for the three forces from US-based company General Atomics.