Army Scales Up Drone Induction

Army Scales Up Drone Induction Amid Geopolitical Strains

On 19 September 2025, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi announced that every infantry battalion in the Indian Army would be equipped with a dedicated drone platoon, signaling an ambitious overhaul of battlefield operations. The roadmap includes the induction of nearly 1,000 drones of varying sizes, 600 advanced simulators to train personnel, and more than 19 institutional training centers, such as the Indian Military Academy and Officers Training Academy, to integrate unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations into standard military curricula. This move reflects a decisive shift toward embedding drones into India’s defense infrastructure at tactical and strategic levels.

Breaking from Past Practices: A Fundamental Shift in Force Composition

Historically, drones in India’s defense ecosystem have been relegated to niche roles—surveillance along the Line of Control (LoC) or occasional deployment for crowd monitoring during internal security crises. The Indian Army’s announcement marks a divergence. By instituting battalion-level operationalization of drones, the Army not only normalizes UAVs as a core combat tool but also redefines battalion structures historically centered around manned warfare. The infantry battalion’s drone platoon represents an organizational rethink where technological systems start replacing human-centric fighting methods.

What also sets this transition apart is its scale. Training for drone operation will no longer be limited to specialized units; rather, UAV proficiency is slated to reach all soldiers by 2027. Contrast this with earlier drone deployments through piecemeal acquisitions—such as during Operation Sindoor, which relied heavily on foreign-origin systems—and the significance becomes apparent. The decision reflects urgency: India’s adversaries, notably Pakistan, have scaled up cross-border drone incursions, particularly since 2023, necessitating systematic counter-drone responses beyond ad hoc measures.

Institutional Framework Behind Expansion

The structural mechanics underpinning this shift hinge on extensive revisions to institutional processes. The Army’s plan to induct UAV training at 19 training centers addresses logistical and procedural bottlenecks. Major institutions such as the Infantry School and OTA will embed simulators and field operations into pre-commissioning and in-service modules.

On the procurement side, defense acquisition policies under the Defense Acquisition Procedure (DAP) of 2020 have been leveraged for "emergency powers procurement," enabling expedited clearance for drones and simulators worth ₹4,200 crore. The scale-up also aligns with broader ‘Make in India’ mandates pushing indigenous production, involving domestic firms like IdeaForge and RattanIndia for surveillance and tactical models.

Complementing acquisition, the operational arm of the Army will deploy new precision artillery batteries equipped with counter-drone systems. These systems are expected to tackle cyber vulnerabilities by incorporating dynamic encryption protocols, a requirement under Section 4(1) of the Information Technology Act for defense systems capable of resisting external interference. Such measures spotlight the emerging centrality of interoperability standards between drone platforms and traditional defense systems.

What the Data Says About Implementation

The ₹4,200 crore budget for UAV acquisitions and counter-drone systems underscores the Army’s immediate priorities, but ground realities temper optimism. First, despite emergency procurement, there is a wide disparity between unit-level induction and actual deployment in active field contexts. Only 40% of procured drones in smaller reconnaissance units have achieved full operational certification due to disrupted maintenance schedules.

Second, cross-border incursions have not uniformly tapered despite scaling up UAV surveillance systems post-2023. Data from the Border Security Force (BSF) reveals a staggering 130 attempted drone crossings along Punjab and Jammu borders in the first half of 2025 alone. While UAV detection systems reportedly neutralized 85% of incursions, such systems remain heavily concentrated in select units—leaving gaps along the Rajasthan and Gujarat borders where integration remains slow.

Finally, training outcomes remain ambiguous. A preliminary review of new training curricula shows that only 12% of officers and soldiers in non-central units passed simulations on advanced tactical UAV operations during test runs at OTA Chennai earlier this year. This emphasizes the challenge of exponentially expanding drone literacy within 2 years.

Uncomfortable Questions: Tactical vs Strategic Risks

The discourse around India’s drone scale-up often overlooks critical vulnerabilities in operational doctrines. First, the Army's growing reliance on unmanned platforms introduces risks of cyber compromise. While emergency procurement addresses quantity, tactical UAVs imported from multiple international vendors lack uniform encryption standards, creating potential weak points in cybersecurity during joint operations.

Second, unchecked enthusiasm for such technologies fosters the danger of overreliance. Modern combat necessitates balanced integration; yet, in contexts like high-altitude warfare—Siachen for instance—extreme weather can frequently incapacitate UAVs, underscoring the need for backup strategies reliant on conventional forces.

The irony here is that while the Army claims a deadline for ubiquitous drone proficiency by 2027, no specific mention has been made of funding parallel systems to ensure redundant capabilities. Additionally, ethical concerns surrounding surveillance operations within Indian territory remain unanswered. For instance, will drones be niche tools for war zones or regularly deployed against civilian gatherings during protests?

South Korea’s UAV Integration: A Comparative Lens

India’s plans bear a striking resemblance to South Korea’s UAV reforms from 2018 when Seoul, facing increasing provocations from North Korea, expanded surveillance and combat drone operations to over 95% of its front-line infantry. South Korea simultaneously ramped up R&D investments and developed indigenous counter-drone systems offering 92% detection accuracy—a sharp contrast to imported systems in India with limits on adaptability.

While South Korea established whole brigades exclusively for drone operations under a centralized command, India’s battalion-platoon model fragments operational responsibilities. The risk is clear: decentralized deployment restricts scalability in larger cross-border engagements while complicating tactical oversight.

Practice Questions for UPSC

Prelims Practice Questions

Frequently Asked Questions