Drones In Indian Security: Legal, Strategic, And Operational Perspectives - A Critical Analysis Of Emerging Warfare Paradigms
- IJLLR Journal
- 11 hours ago
- 2 min read
Nidhi Shyam Singh, BBA.LLB(H), Symbiosis Law School, Pune
Introduction
The emergence of drones as a revolutionizing technology in modern warfare has transformed national security strategic mathematics across the globe. In today's security landscape, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have evolved from cutting-edge military prototypes to central tools of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and kinetic operations. India, situated at the crossroads of complex regional security dynamics, faces multi-dimensional drone-related challenges from cross-border terrorism facilitated through rival drones to the strategic imperative of developing domestic counter-terrorism competencies in the form of sophisticated drone systems.
The relevance of this analysis extends beyond academic investigation to encompass important policy decisions that will shape India's national security framework for decades to come. The defense technology industrial dynamics have been revolutionized by the proliferation of military- grade and commercial unmanned drone platforms, creating new paradigms for both offensive and defensive operations. One of the largest defense deals in Indo-US relations, the recent Indian acquisition of 31 MQ-9B Predator drones from the US worth $4 billion, is a case in point of the strategic value placed on drone technology in contemporary security planning.
The size and sophistication of drone-related security challenges facing India are unprecedented. From the Pakistan-sponsored incursion of payload-delivery drones along the Punjab border to the sophisticated counter-terrorism operations requiring precision strike capability against terrorist facilities, India is facing the entire range of drone warfare vectors. The 2021 Jammu Air Force base attack by purported Lashkar-e-Taiba agents using hijacked commercial drones that were armed with explosives was the first successful terrorist drone attack on Indian military targets, highlighting the evolving nature of the threat.
This analysis is particularly pertinent given India's unique position as a victim of threatening drone operations as well as an emerging power possessing an advanced military drone system operator. The most recent May 2025 India-Pakistan crisis, in which the two nuclear neighbors engaged in the first-ever drone war between them, is a landmark episode of South Asian security trends and forms significant empirical evidence for analyzing the operational use and strategic value of drone technology for conflict in the region.
