Overview
- Conducted by: Indian Army
- Location: Arunachal Pradesh
- Dates: 8–10 September 2025
- Type: Major field training exercise under realistic battlefield conditions
- Focus: Validation of drone employment in tactical and operational depths, testing future warfare tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
Objectives of Exercise
- Validate integration of drones with conventional forces (infantry, artillery, surveillance).
- Refine joint targeting processes and ensure rapid decision-making in combat.
- Develop flexible response mechanisms for fluid battlefield conditions.
- Demonstrate force multiplication through unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
Role of Drones
- Surveillance & Persistent Monitoring – real-time situational awareness.
- Reconnaissance & Target Acquisition – intelligence gathering.
- Precision Strikes – accurate targeting of simulated enemy positions.
- Enhanced combat efficiency by fusing drone intelligence with artillery firepower.
Tactical Innovations
- New TTPs for future warfare validated.
- Drone-based data integrated into battlefield decisions.
- Real-time adaptability demonstrated.
- Showcased synergy of traditional combat arms with emerging technology.
Outcomes & Importance
- Strengthened operational preparedness of the Indian Army.
- Proved drones as decisive factors in future battlefields.
- Lessons for force multiplication and operational integration.
- Reinforced India’s resolve for technological superiority in warfare.
- Reflected Indian Army’s proactive approach to modern warfare and future readiness.
Strategic Significance
- Arunachal Pradesh location underscores security concerns due to international borders with China, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
- Integration of AI-driven drones highlights India’s preparedness against technologically advanced adversaries.
- Strengthens Eastern Command’s combat readiness, vital for guarding the Indo-China border.
Arunachal Pradesh:
- Borders: Bhutan (west), China (north & northeast), Myanmar (east).
- Known as “Land of the Rising Sun” in India.
- State Capital: Itanagar.
Indian Army Commands:
- 7 operational commands.
- Eastern Command HQ: Kolkata – responsible for operations in Arunachal Pradesh.
Drone Warfare History
- First military use of drones: World War I (rudimentary aerial targets).
- India inducted Heron UAVs from Israel in early 2000s for high-altitude surveillance.
- Presently developing indigenous drones like Rustom-II, TAPAS-BH, and Archer UAVs.
Past Indian Army Drone Exercises
- Exercise Sudarshan Shakti (2011): integration of UAVs with mechanized forces.
- Exercise HimVijay (2019): tested surveillance drones in Arunachal Pradesh.