Drones: The New Face of Warfare
Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web and the recent India-Pakistan hostilities in the wake of Operation Sindoor underline the salience of drones — specifically ones sent out in swarms — in modern warfare. Relatively low-cost, low-tech drones pose significant challenges to traditional militaries, one which countries, including India, are racing to overcome
What is a Drone?
A drone is an unmanned aircraft that can be either operated remotely or autonomously using GPS, sensors, and AI-driven software. They are also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). These unmanned aerial vehicles are equipped with cameras, GPS Modules, Radar Control, Infrared, Inertial measurement units (IMUs) and sometimes LIDAR for obstacle detection and precision navigation. They are usually small or medium-sized and carry out a wide range of tasks
Types of Drones in Warfare
- Surveillance / Reconnaissance Drones – Provide real-time imagery and track enemy movements
- During the 2017 Doklam standoff, the Indian Army deployed IAI Heron UAVs for surveillance and intelligence gathering
- Armed Combat Drones – Equipped with missiles/bombs
- Example-Heron TP and MQ-9 Reaper carry missiles for surgical operations in hostile zones.
- Commercially Modified Drones – Cheap, off-the-shelf drones adapted by terror outfits for smuggling or carrying explosives.
- Swarm Drones – Swarm drones are autonomous or semi-autonomous UAVs that operate in coordinated groups, much like swarms of birds or fish. They communicate via wireless networks and adjust in real time to achieve shared objectives.
- Swarms are more resilient than traditional drones due to in-built redundancy — even if one drone is intercepted, others can continue on the mission.
- Drone swarms are thus used to saturate air defences (a few payloads may sneak through even robust defences), gathering intelligence, and attacking high-value targets.
- Example-Russia throughout its war with Ukraine has used Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones in swarms to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses, and target critical infrastructure such as energy grids.
Some Drone Types in News
FPV Drones
- Why?Used in Ukraine Russia War
- First-person view means that a person piloting a drone can see what the drone sees, through a camera attached to its body.
- The live video can be seen through specialised goggles, or on smartphones and other kinds of screens, and the drone can be manoeuvred remotely.
- Such drones are also used in filming and other non-defence purposes.
Loitering Munitions
- Why?Israeli HAROPs were used by India to target air defence systems in Pakistan
- This category of weapons is named so because they loiter in the air close to the designated target.
- They cause destruction by crashing into their targets with the explosive payload that they carry, earning names such as “suicide drones” and “kamikaze drones”.
- Usually, loiter munitions carry a camera which is nose-mounted and can be used by the operator to see the area of operation and choose targets. These munitions also have variants which can be recovered and reused in case they are not used for any strike. This is new compared to how older precision-guided weapons were traditionally used, because they required the exact location of the targets before launch.
Kamikaze drones
- Why?Used by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and in Russia -Ukraine War.
- Also called Switchblade drones, these are small unmanned aircraft that are packed with explosives that can be flown directly at a tank or a group of troops that are destroyed when it hits the target and explodes.
Drones, a brief history of its Usage
- Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) date back to World War II and the Korean War, where they were used for training anti-aircraft gunners and in specific offensive missions. Their modern military usage took off in the 1990s, after being successfully deployed in the Gulf War of 1991.
- The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of 2020 marked a turning point in drone warfare: Azerbaijan’s use of Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and Israeli Harop drones devastated Armenian defences, decisively shifting the conflict’s dynamics in favour of Baku.
- Yemen, where Houthi rebels targeted Saudi oil infrastructure using drone swarms;
- Gaza, where Israel has deployed high-tech drones for surveillance and strikes, and Hamas has used drones for grenades and observation; and
- Ukraine, where both Moscow and Kyiv have deployed commercial quadcopters (DJI drones), military drones (Bayraktar TB2, Orlan-10, Shahed-136), and loitering munitions.
- Ukraine has notably used “first-person view” (FPV) racing drones to target tanks, chase individual soldiers and small units, and, most notably, bomb Russian air bases.
- In Myanmar, rebel groups are now using 3D-printed drones to challenge Myanmar’s Military
- Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah launched a drone attack on an Israeli arms factory
- During recent India Pakistan conflict, Pakistan deployed attack and surveillance drones hidden in swarms of
basic drones
Countering Drone Threats
- Detection – The First Layer
- Defence against drones begins with detection. Modern systems employ a mix of AESA radars, electro-optical and infrared sensors, acoustic detectors, and Al-powered fusion systems.
- Neutralisation Methods
- Kinetic Defences
- Missiles (SAMs) – Precise but expensive, less effective against swarms.
- Automated Gun Systems – C-RAM (Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar), Phalanx CIWS – autonomous detection and firing, more suited to drones.
- Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs): Lasers and microwave pulses that disable drones by damaging sensors or frying electronics;
- Electronic Warfare (EW): Jamming GPS signals or communication links;
- Spoofing: Misleading drones about their location or issuing false commands;
- Cyber Attacks: Taking control of drones and crash them by exploiting software vulnerabilities; and
- Interceptor drones & nets: For close-range neutralisation, protecting critical assets.
Challenge in Anti Drone Warfare
- The asymmetry in cost remains the central challenge in anti-drone warfare. A drone swarm costing roughly $100,000 might take millions of dollars to neutralise with currently available technology.
- Hence, nations like India are focusing on cost-effective EW and DEW solutions
- The ideal defence is a layered system, integrating multiple modes of interception for redundancy and cost-efficiency purposes.
- Examples include Israel’s Iron Dome and the US’s Directed Energy M-SHORAD
India’s Counter-Drone Capabilities
Key systems include:
- Akashteer Air Defence Control System: Developed by Bharat Electronics Ltd, it integrates with the Indian Air Force’s integrated command network for real-time tracking;
- Bhargavastra: Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd’s weapon system fires 64 micro-rockets in salvos to eliminate drone swarms;
- DRDO’s Anti-Drone System: It offers 360-degree radar coverage, with both jamming (soft kill) and laser (hard kill) capabilities. Drones can be detected up to 4 km away, and neutralised within a 1 km radius; and
- Indrajaal: An AI-powered grid from a Hyderabad startup that combines jammers, spoofers, and intelligence to protect areas up to 4,000 sq km. Already deployed at naval sites in Gujarat and Karnataka.
Operational Example
- May 2025 Swarm Attacks During the May 2025 swarm attacks, the IAF activated its Integrated Counter-UAS Grid, alongside conventional radars, guns, and missiles, neutralising attempted strikes on 15 military bases and several urban targets
Characteristics of Modern Drone Warfare
- Low-cost, High-impact: Affordable drones neutralise expensive equipment.
- Swarm Tactics – Drones operate in large groups, saturating air defences that cannot target them all simultaneously.
- Versatility – Roles include reconnaissance, electronic warfare, supply drops, and kamikaze strikes.
- AI Integration – Enables autonomous flight paths, adaptive targeting, and coordinated swarming.
- Dual-use Nature – Civilian drones (commercially available) can be modified into lethal weapons.
- Electronic Warfare Integration: Some drones carry EW payloads to jam or spoof defences.
- Commercial-Military Crossover: Off-the-shelf drones, 3D-printed components, and open-source software have lowered entry barriers.
Threats to India
● Drones in Conventional Warfare
- Drones can be effectively deployed in conventional military conflicts.
- Both China and Pakistan are investing heavily in armed drones and swarm technology, which can be used to weaken India’s border defences, strike ammunition depots, disrupt supply lines, and paralyse airfields during wartime. Their low cost and ability to evade radar make them ideal tools for asymmetric strikes.
- During the India–Pakistan border skirmishes in 2025, reports indicated Pakistan used swarms of drones to target India.This sets a dangerous precedent for future wars where swarm drones could hit logistics hubs, ammunition depots, and airstrips.
- China’s advanced systems, such as the Soaring Dragon, BZK-005, and Wing Loong II, combined with swarm-capable kamikaze drones like CH-901, present a complex challenge along the Line of Actual Control (LAC
- Cross-Border Terrorism/Insurgency/Naxalism
- Drones have also become accessible to non-state actors, including terrorist groups and insurgencies.
- The proliferation of cheap, off-the-shelf drones has made it easier for smaller, less-resourced groups to participate in modern warfare. This democratisation of drone technology poses a significant challenge to security as it lowers the entry barrier for engaging in sophisticated attacks.
- Drones are used to drop arms, explosives, and fake currency across the India–Pakistan border, especially in Punjab and J&K.
- Example: In 2020–21, BSF reported multiple cases of drones carrying AK-47s and grenades into Indian territory.
- Terror Attacks on Security Installations
- UAVs can bypass traditional radar systems and target military bases.
- Example: Jammu IAF Base attack (June 2021) — drones used to drop explosives on Jammu air base
- Drug & Weapon Smuggling
- Drones increasingly used by cartels and terror groups for narcotics smuggling across borders, financing militancy.
- Example-In 2025, the Border Security Force (BSF) successfully intercepted two Pakistani drones carrying narcotics along the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar
- Threat to Civil Aviation
- Unauthorised drones near airports could collide with passenger aircraft, creating aviation disasters.
- Swarm Drone Attacks
- Dozens of small drones, flown together, can overwhelm India’s air defence systems.
- Potential to be used against critical infrastructure such as nuclear plants, dams, Parliament, and metro cities.
- Example: Pakistan used Drone Swarms to attack during the recent conflict.
- Cyber & Espionage Risk
- Drones can be hacked or GPS-spoofed, making them vulnerable tools for cyber warfare.
- Also used for surveillance and data theft of sensitive areas.
- Internal Security Challenges
- Possibility of extremist groups using cheap commercial drones for attacks in urban areas, political rallies, or public gatherings.
- Strategic Asymmetry
- Pakistan-backed outfits and China can use low-cost drones to neutralize India’s expensive defence assets, creating an asymmetric warfare disadvantage.
- Critical Infrastructure Risk
- Refineries, nuclear plants, and airports are vulnerable targets.
- Urban Security Concerns
- Drones could be used in crowded public spaces for mass-casualty attacks.
Advantages of Drone Warfare
- Precision strikes
- Drones offer the ability to strike anywhere at any time, often with greater precision than traditional airstrikes. This capability has lowered the threshold for military intervention, enabling countries to engage in conflicts without the political and social costs of deploying troops.
- Example- Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad’s international airport
- Risk-free operations for soldiers, as drones are remotely operated.
- Drone warfare has fundamentally changed military engagement, allowing nations to conduct operations with fewer troops on the ground.
- Example-Ukraine’s Operation Spider Web-“Operation Spider Web” was a large-scale drone attack conducted by Ukraine against Russian military airbases
- Force Multiplier in Surveillance
- Continuous aerial monitoring boosts border management and situational awareness.
- Enhanced surveillance and border monitoring, especially in difficult terrains.
- Example: Zuppa company’s Hawk, Scout, and Eagle drones were deployed by the Indian defence forces during Operation Sindoor for Surveillance
- Effective in counter-insurgency and anti-terror operations.
- Drones provide real-time surveillance over difficult terrain such as forests, mountains, and urban areas where insurgents hide.
- They reduce risk to soldiers by enabling remote monitoring and precision targeting without direct
exposure. - Small, inexpensive drones can track insurgent movement, monitor infiltration along borders, and even drop small payloads to neutralise threats.
- Useful for minimising collateral damage, since drones can carry out targeted strikes with greater
accuracy compared to artillery or airstrikes.
- Drones have been often used for targeted killings of high-value targets in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen.
- The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in 2022 executed anti-Naxal missions using drones as weapons, in which the insurgents suffered a large number of casualties.
- Facilitates Covert and Politically Low-Cost Operations
- Drone operations are typically classified, making it easier for governments to conduct strikes without public scrutiny or the need for formal declarations of war.
- Low cost, high impact compared to conventional weapons.
- Drones are cheaper to operate and maintain than fighter jets, but can still carry significant payloads.
- Example-Ukraine has adapted inexpensive commercial drones (around $1,000), often crowd-funded, retrofitted with explosives for precise low-cost strikes.
Challenges in Countering Drone Warfare
- Detection Difficulties
- Small drones fly at low altitudes, use plastic/fiberglass, and have low radar signatures, making them hard to detect with conventional air defence radars.
- Cost Imbalance
- Missiles and interceptor systems cost far more than the drones they target, creating an unsustainable defence posture.
- Swarm Tactics
- Large numbers of drones launched simultaneously can overwhelm even layered air defence systems.
- Electronic Warfare Limits
- While jamming and spoofing are useful, advanced drones are being made GPS-independent (using terrain mapping, Al, machine vision), reducing EW effectiveness.
- Rapid Technological Innovation
- Adversaries quickly adapt using 3D printing, open-source software, and commercial parts faster than states can develop countermeasures.
- Civil-Military Overlap
- Distinguishing between legitimate commercial drones and hostile UAVs in real time is extremely difficult, especially in urban areas.
- Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability
- Airports, refineries, nuclear plants, and military bases are hard to protect 24×7 against small, agile drones.
- Limited Deployment of Counter-Syster
- India and most countries have only deployed counter-drone systems at select locations; widespread coverage remains a challenge. Clusivity
- Legal and Regulatory Gaps
- Even where laws exist (e.g., drone registration, geofencing), enforcement and real-time monitoring are weak, leaving loopholes for misuse.
- Inter-Agency Coordination
- Drone threats span defence, police, aviation, and intelligence domains, but coordination and SOPs are still fragmented.
- Legal and Sovereignty Issues
- Cross-border drone intrusions raise questions about territorial sovereignty and retaliation norms under international law.
- Without a strong legal framework, countries struggle to act decisively against unmanned threats.
Steps Taken by India to Counter Drone Threats
- Policy & Regulatory Measures
- Drone Rules, 2021: Liberalised use of drones for civilian purposes but with safeguards for security applications.
- NPNT (No Permission, No Takeoff) framework to ensure drones cannot operate without prior clearance.
- Ban on import of drones (2022) except for defence, security, and R&D purposes to promote self-reliance and reduce misuse.
- Technological Measures
- DRDO has developed a comprehensive anti-drone system encompassing detection, identification, and neutralization of drones.
- The technology is capable of countering attacks, soft kill and hard kill of all types of drones, including micro drones.
- Also, the technology has been transferred to private companies like BEL, L&T, and Icom for mass production
- The BEL anti-drone system (D4) performs real-time search, detection, tracking, and neutralization using radar, EO, RF jamming, and a laser weapon system
- Defence & Security Forces Deployment
- BSF has been equipped with counter-drone technology in Punjab to prevent arms and narcotics smuggling from Pakistan.
- The Indian Army’s mechanised forces are inducting swarm drone systems capable of carrying out offensive missions in enemy territory with scores of drones working in formations to identify, encircle and strike targets
- In the backdrop of operation Sindoor, the Indian Army is set to undergo a significant organisational overhaul that will include integrating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and counter-UAV as standard weapon systems at the battalion level across most of its arms
- The Indian Air Force has inducted new Heron Mark-2 drones, which have strike capability and can carry out surveillance along the borders with both China and Pakistan in a single sortie.
- Baaj Akh- Anti Drone System (ADS)-Punjab’s anti-drone systems to tackle drugs & weapons smuggling from Pakistan
- Procurement of Advanced Drones
- India and the U.S.have concluded a deal for the procurement of 31 MQ-9B armed High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) through an inter-governmental agreement, via the Foreign Military Sales programme of the U.S.
- Indigenous Development & Atmanirbhar Push
- India is pushing for self-reliance in drone technology under Atmanirbhar Bharat
- Startups and DPSUs are developing UAVs for surveillance, logistics, and combat.
- Indrajaal Counter-Drone System – Al-powered drone defence grid by Grene Robotics.
Way Forward
- Indigenous Defence Industrial Base: Accelerate domestic R&D in drones, DEWs, and anti-drone systems.
- Layered Defence Architecture: Integrate radars, EW, lasers, interceptor drones, and kinetic systems.
- Civil-Security Integration: Equip airports, refineries, and metros with counter-drone grids.
- Doctrinal Evolution: Incorporate drones into India’s military doctrine not only for defence but also for offensive capabilities (loitering munitions, FPVs).
- International Cooperation: Engage in global drone regulation regimes and technology sharing.
FAQs
1. What is a drone in military terms?
A drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can be remotely operated or fly autonomously using AI, GPS, and sensors. Military drones are used for surveillance, combat, and intelligence.
2. What are swarm drones and why are they dangerous?
Swarm drones are multiple UAVs operating in coordination, often autonomously. They are difficult to intercept due to their redundancy and collective AI, allowing them to overwhelm air defences or execute precision strikes.
3. What are FPV drones and how are they used in wars?
FPV (First Person View) drones transmit live visuals to the operator, allowing precise control in real-time. Used extensively in the Ukraine war for low-cost targeting of tanks and troops.
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