Command Post | Drones, Dependence And The Battle For Control

Last Updated:March 27, 2026, 12:57 IST

Post-Operation Sindoor, the Indian Armed Forces have accelerated plans to incorporate drones across units

Drones have moved from the periphery to the centre of contemporary warfare, with current conflicts underlining their growing dominance. In the ongoing US-Israel and Iran war, Iran’s Shahed-136 kamikaze drones have demonstrated how low-cost, mass-deployed UAVs can reshape battlefield dynamics and strain even the most advanced air defence systems.

While the scenario is a bit different for India given its adversaries, drones have been taking centre stage in military planning and operations. All thanks to Operation Sindoor, which has made decision-makers realise that while the role of infantry remains important, the first line of defence and offence is going to make the real impact. To get an upper hand, a competitive UAV ecosystem is essential.

Post-Operation Sindoor, the Indian Armed Forces have accelerated plans to incorporate drones across units. Infantry units are being equipped at the platoon and company levels. Artillery is being restructured around loitering munitions and swarm drones. New formations and batteries are being designed to integrate real-time surveillance with strike capability. All three Services have inducted modern UAVs and drones, and the process is ongoing.

It is a simple idea. Future wars will not just see drones supporting operations. They will define them.

But this expansion has also exposed a deeper fault line, and efforts are underway to address it.

Most drone systems, even when assembled in India, rely on imported components. Sensors, communication modules, chips, and firmware layers often come from global supply chains. A portion traces back to foreign players, and one obvious country in the scenario has been China.

That is where the problem begins.

The relationship and dynamics between China and Pakistan are well known, and especially after Operation Sindoor, there should be little doubt about the operational reality.

In 2024, an Army drone operating near the Pakistan border inadvertently strayed across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, with the vulnerability traced to a Chinese-made autopilot system used for navigation. The incident became a benchmark case for deliberating on vulnerabilities and solutions.

Senior officials in the Indian Armed Forces often point to standard practices adopted during acquisitions to avoid the use of Chinese components. But now, even a formal framework is being worked upon.

“From moulds and software to engines and batteries, every element must be produced in India. This is a complex task, especially since most drone-producing countries still depend on critical imports from China. India must move in mission mode to become a global hub for indigenous drone manufacturing," Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh said during an event last week.

Defence Ministry’s framework on drone vulnerabilities, even though it’s a draft yet, gives a broader picture of how and what the practices are likely to be.

The message is direct. Every critical component must be treated as a potential risk. Flight controllers, sensors, transmission units, and ground control software are no longer just parts of a system. They are points of exposure.

Test everything. Validate everything. Question everything.

The need is for deep inspection of systems that were earlier treated as black boxes. Hardware, software, encryption layers, and update mechanisms: nothing is outside scrutiny.

Vendors will now have to disclose software and hardware bills of materials. This will allow components to be traced back to their source. Testing is also being expanded beyond standard checks.

Hardware validation, penetration testing, encryption verification, and, in some cases, destructive testing. The idea is to simulate how an adversary would attempt to exploit the system and plug those gaps before induction.

India has recognised the problem. The harder task will be solving it. And the solution is not complicated in principle, even if it is difficult in execution.

The only durable answer is Aatmanirbharta that goes beyond slogans and enters production lines, labs, and supply chains. R&D remains an important aspect.

Because in the end, drones are not just about technology. They are about trust. And trust, in a battlespace like India’s, cannot be imported.

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