Modern militaries must urgently move beyond token acquisitions and adopt a capability-driven approach. In conventional armies, the method of simply buying drones to supplement the efforts of artillery, infantry or armour, though a start, limits the potential of drones and prevents their full exploitation as a transformative tool on the battlefield. Drones should not merely be add-ons; rather they must be employed (and acquired)ingeniously in accordance with a robust operational philosophy that seeks to extract the maximum tactical and strategic value from these platforms.
Raise a UAS Corps. In a feature article published in February 2024 (https://www.defstrat.com/magazine_articles/drones-and-anti-drone-systems-central-training-academy-is-a-must-for-common-philosophy-and-training/ ) I had strongly advocated raising of a UAV corps and a common training facility to devise and operationalise a doctrine to exploit the full potential of this weapon-cum-warhead in the battlefield. Such a formation would be able to treat drones not just as isolated assets, but as a cohesive manoeuvre force able to project power, shape the battlefield, and deliver decisive blows as an integrated combat arm. This UAV Corps would have the doctrinal flexibility and operational expertise to exploit drones’ unique capabilities fully and to adapt swiftly as technology and adversary tactics evolve. Piecemeal accretions to enhance potential of ISR, tanks, guns, infantrymen etc will limit the vast advantages on offer.
Employment Philosophy. The most important part of any successful drone or UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) strategy lies in first establishing a clear employment philosophy based on their unique capabilities. Two foundational ideas stand out:
- Drones as Disruptive Weapons
- Drones as an Organised Manoeuvre Force
Disruptive Role of Drones. Drones, when used innovatively, can deliver strategic effects far beyond their cost. Recent examples in the Russo-Ukraine conflict, such as Ukraine’s Special Drone Forces (SDF) successfully targeting and destroying Russian strategic bombers deep inside Russian territory, show how drones can be game changers. Similarly, Israel’s precise drone strikes to neutralise high-value targets in Iran reflect the flexibility and ingenuity these platforms bring.
Employment of drones is only limited by imagination. When combined with conventional platforms like fighter jets, missiles, artillery they become force multipliers, capable of causing disproportionate damage at minimal cost.
Drones as the New Manoeuvre Force. In the age of high-speed wars and real-time surveillance, traditional systems are becoming less relevant due to their bulk, slow speed, and large physical/EM signature. Drones, on the other hand, are light, fast, and stealthy. When deployed in numbers, they can serve as a nimble manoeuvre force, striking deep, fast, and unpredictably.
This force can distract and degrade enemy defences through deception and surprise. However, they cannot hold ground. If seizing territory or sustaining pressure is the objective, conventional troops and platforms must be ready to exploit the openings created by drones. That said, in fast-moving modern combat such follow-up moves may not always be feasible, underscoring the need for pre-integrated plans.
Networked Drone Warfare. To realise the true potential of drones as an organised force, militaries should look towards mesh network-based drone operations. In this model, drones act as interconnected nodes, sharing intelligence, coordinating strikes, and dynamically adapting to evolving threats in real time. This creates a networked system that can provide unparalleled situational awareness and manoeuvrability which are key enablers in modern combat. This model could be a game changer for battlefield command and control, especially in contested environments where communication and coordination are critical.
Counter-Drone Preparedness. No employment philosophy is complete without addressing the threat of enemy drones. As much as drones offer an advantage, the same technology can be turned against us. Hence, counter-drone operations must be fully integrated into the doctrine. Detection, jamming, interception, and even offensive cyber options must be developed as part of this evolving warfare landscape.
Rethink how we Procure Drone Capability. The traditional bureaucratic approach of DPP/DAP does not suit the fast-paced, tech-driven world of drones and UAS. This space demands speed, adaptability, and technical foresight. Here are a few key suggestions:-
- Buy and Build Smart. Components like motors, batteries, and frames can be sourced globally as long as they are cost-effective and reliable. Country of origin does not matter as such hardware items cannot be compromised, and such purchases have no impact on trade/economy. What cannot be compromised are control systems, encryption protocols, and cybersecurity layers – make that indigenously. Be practical, not emotional.
- Focus on Technology. Don’t chase drones; chase the enabling tech. In six months, a drone could become outdated. But if you own the tech like AI-based targeting, autonomy algorithms, and encryption you can always pivot and adapt.
- Time-Bound Goals. Procurement planning should not be in decades. Think in short cycles like 06 months (immediate), 01 year (mid-term), and 03 years (long-term capability). That’s how quickly this domain evolves.
- Embrace Open Source. Do not reinvent the wheel. Shunning open-source platforms over security fears is short-sighted, as time is limited. In fact, many of the best military grade tools are based on open architectures with customised secure layers. The focus should be on hardening them, not avoiding them.
- Tech Community. Include coders, hackers, AI experts, and engineers, what we may call technical geeks, in the acquisition and R&D loop. Their understanding of emerging tech far exceeds that of traditional procurement officers. It’s time to break silos and tap into this talent.
In short, acquire technical capabilities in a planned and deliberate manner, as per an employment and acquisition philosophy. Be realistic about timelines, as drone warfare is highly dynamic and ingenious. Include young technocrats who are hands-on and passionate about tech in the policy and planning committees.
Col Ashwani Sharma, Editor (with inputs from Milind)
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We should not irrationally fear the import of tech. Some of the adversarial countries no doubt possess incredibly advanced technology – and are likely uninterested in the orchestration of any kind of expensive, complicated backdoor infiltration – since they don’t require it to dominate.
India needs to move fast, and for speed to be possible, we need the primitives of drone tech to be available immediately. BLDCs, ESCs, Flight controllers should be bought outright, with higher level capabilities developed indigenously.
Start making motors now, and in 2 years we’ll have beautiful motors, while the world has moved onto the next big thing in tech.
Thank you. Yes, as mentioned, we need not reinvent the wheel for every tech – be pragmatic instead and quickly build capabilities
Building on the editor’s point – speed is of the essence.
3 years ago drone warfare was almost non existent. The use of cheap, expendable drones became a reality 2 years ago. 6 months ago, Ukrainian attack drones were simply individually piloted, repurposed DJI drones. In the past month, we’ve seen Israel and Ukraine independently execute coordinated missions with hundreds of drones emerging deep behind enemy lines.
All this to say, India’s plans should be measured in weeks and months, not years. Every soldier, officer, general, procurement officer should all feel a strong sense of urgency.
Move fast, focus on outcome, not on the tech.
Agreed, sir, speed is imperative in drone wars, thus the emphasis on quick timelines
The first drone as part of hybrid warfare was was done by Houthis in 2019 on Saudi refinery. It was a wake up call for all. Some nations who understood have taken a big leap in developing the technology and operational concepts. I agree with the author. Indian Army needs to have a corps..maybe as part of AD or a new corps. I hope that the Armed Foces of our country are moving in thatdirection.
India needs a procurement procedure that works. It should work in weeks and months.
It should work on Suo-moto to buy MoQ in weeks
Thank you Gen Jagga. We need to visualise the impact this tech has brought to the TBA. Raising a corps or such an entity will help realise the full potential of this tech
Brig Asthana, you echo exactly my point – archaic acquisition procedures cannot keep pace with such tech. Thus the need to be dynamic
A very nice piece which is the need of the hour. There has to be a centralised system of procurement and use of drones. There will also need to be doctrinal changes in all arms to use and counter drones effectively. However its use will have to be decentralised for eff emp down to sub unit level.
Thank you, Ajay. Doctrinal changes are imperative to exploit full potential of this tech
Well written Ashwani, I had visualised drones as a manoeuvre force with mobility , firepower lesser protection …(using the 3 rd dimension for stealth and surprise to make up )
It’s command ,control and employment needs some forward thinking because they can come in various shapes , sizes , range and capabilities.
Regarding its inability to hold ground, it can deny the enemy from holding ground and in future spl forces carrying EVTOLs can arrive after adequate sanitisation of a location to hold ground till major thrusts link up !!
Your second point is worthy of deliberation, as it can bring in a sea change in the tactical approach to modern warfare
Raising a Corps for Drone Systems is the need of the hour.
However, the spectrum of drone warfare is huge: from micro, mini, small to MALE, HALE. The kamikaze drones, FPV drones and others are also there.
The key to Drone warfare supremacy lies is innovation and indigenous solutions. In my view, there is a huge capability in the country, but it is scattered all over.
The Services should first finalise the different solutions required and establish a few industries for each one. This will benefit larger participation and capability enhancement.
Benjamin, former Outstanding Scientist, DRDO
Thank you, Dr Benjamin. Very apt comments
Superb article and the Comments by the erudite readers! My view is that “Hard Mobile Offensive Actions” are the Best Antidote to the Enemy’s Employment of Drone Warfare. Otherwise, the situation will stalemate like that of the Trench-warfare period from 1916 onwards during WW I, when the focus became that of causing “Attrition”!
Col Achutan, veteran
Thank you Col Achutan. Interesting to see how tech pans out and impacts the TBA
The future demands a comprehensive “drone ecosystem.” This includes robust command and control, multi-layered counter-drone systems, integrated data analytics, and agile, tech-focused procurements. Key future-oriented points include the irreversible rise of AI-enabled autonomy, where drones transition from remote-controlled to highly intelligent, decision-making platforms. This will lead to the development of drone “swarms,” where large numbers of drones work together, making decisions independently and overwhelming traditional AD System through sheer coordination and scale.
You have given an ideal solution to the problem of tomorrow, but almost all nations are struggling to get on top of the problem, because emerging revolution courtesy of the new civ-mil fused technologies are moving too fast
As far as India is concerned, we lack willpower and mullah both for riding the new wave, Sir
I get goosebumps reading China’s progress.
Lt Gen A P Singh, former DG AAD
Thank you Gen AP. We must keep up the endeavour from all corners and strive to get ahead of the curve
We may soon have autonomous aircraft of all types, fighter jets, tpt ac, ISR platforms, AH & so on.
As in the case of air power, drones/ UAVs would soon perform all three roles, ie OAS, air maintenance, and ISR. The limit is only our imagination. While that may be at one end of spectrum, smaller drones augmenting all three roles/capabilities at tac & op level is already a reality. We have to be very agile & nimble in exploiting this immense potential.
Thank you Gen Mistry. I agree with your vision, thus the need to be nimble and agile.
As far as China is concerned, do you remember Deng Xio Ping’s diktat of “hide your strength & bide your time” ? I think, for years China has deliberately allowed the world to denigrate Chinese tech/products so as to divert attention, as part of cognitive-warfare. Kind of lull the world into taking the eye off the ball.
Now they are asserting themselves and showing off their tech, again part of same Cognitive Warfare. May be some of their claims are overstated, but make no mistake, China has made huge strides in various spheres of science & tech so as to narrow the gap with US and even overtake them in some respects. This process would continue relentlessly. We can take China lightly only at our own peril.
We too need to buckle down & hide our strength & bide our time, instead of getting carried away by jingoism. We need to spend a lot more on R&D, innovation etc. We need to completely overhaul the educational ecosystem. We also need to get out of the Pakistan Trap. Let’s move beyond Op Sindoor and focus on the main rival/ competitor
Lt Gen Asit Mistry, former Comdt NDA
I agree with your thoughts on China and Pakistan. The only way to match up with China is to be innovative and get ahead of the curve in some technologies
Sir,
Very well articulated and pertinent. Earlier we act the better.
A ‘Military-Drone mission’ (M-Drone) needs to be put in place at the apex level and treated as a National level Project to create technologies related to EW hardening, GPSS denied navig, targeting etc. Drone manufacturers could be supplied these centrally created software stacks under BFE mode. That way interoperability would be ensured plugging into the Tri-Services ISR&D grid.
Thank you Ashish. Military drone mission is the need of the hour. And we need to think beyond that to remain ahead of the curve