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Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on June 13, 2025

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How drones are the new face of warfare?

For Preliminary Examination:  Current events of national and international significance

For Mains Examination: GS III - Defence Acquisition

Context:

India’s Operation Sindoor in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack has marked a notable shift in the country’s adoption of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in combat. In combination with standoff weapons, India’s use of UAVs in active combat represents a tactical shift in military doctrine — part of a global playbook

Read about:

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Key takeaways:

India’s Evolving Use of UAVs in Warfare

India’s Operation Sindoor, initiated after the Pahalgam terror attack, highlights a significant shift in the country’s military strategy with the deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in combat scenarios. This operation, which involved the use of drones alongside standoff weaponry, reflects an evolution in India’s tactical approach, aligning with a broader global trend. Similarly, Ukraine’s Operation Spider Web showcases how cost-effective, makeshift UAVs can achieve notable strategic outcomes.

Global Trends in Drone Warfare

• Drones are increasingly seen as key instruments in modern warfare, bridging the gap between traditional military hardware and commercial technology. Their adaptability and scalability make them effective force multipliers. To remain competitive, India must focus on producing modular and redundant drones on a large scale and support a responsive domestic defence industry.
• A pivotal example came during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, where Azerbaijan leveraged loitering munitions, such as Israeli-made Harop drones, to dismantle enemy air defences.
• In Ukraine, drones have become central to warfare innovation, with a wide range of models deployed and rapid adaptation becoming the norm. Myanmar’s insurgents have also begun using 3D-printed drones against a more advanced military, narrowing the technological disparity.
• India must draw key lessons from these conflicts as it continues to modernize its armed forces. China, with its vast and varied UAV arsenal, and Pakistan, which is enhancing its drone capabilities through collaborations with China and Türkiye, pose growing threats, particularly along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Building Resilience and Counter-Drone Capabilities

• Although drones are transformative, they remain susceptible to countermeasures such as jamming, interception, and anti-aircraft systems. Their success hinges on the ability to either bypass or overwhelm these defences. However, even air defence systems have limitations and can be compromised through evolving tactics and technologies.
• India has developed a layered counter-drone infrastructure, featuring both homegrown soft-kill and hard-kill systems, which were instrumental in neutralizing recent threats from Pakistan.

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