Overview

• Western and South‑Western Commands ran a two‑sided drill at Naraingarh to prove UAS employment in a contested electronic‑warfare environment.
• Units executed offensive and defensive manoeuvres with FPV, loitering, mule and swarm drones, including simulated swarm attacks and live drops of artillery shells, mortar bombs and 84 mm rockets.
• Tactical drones used in the exercise were indigenously fabricated with roughly 5 km range and 5 kg payload, with locally made munitions demonstrated for precision strikes and surveillance.
• Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar said most Pakistani drones were destroyed during Operation Sindoor and vowed future enemy drones would be downed by counter‑drone systems and air‑defence guns.
• The Army projects a requirement for thousands of drones, has integrated UAS across all arms, and is expanding training pipelines, including a forthcoming programme linked to the ‘Drone Didi’ initiative.