In the early hours of June 26, 2021, two consecutive blasts rocked the highly fortified Indian Air Force station in Jammu. This was the first terror attack in which drones were used to airdrop bombs on a major security installation. Though the explosions caused no serious damage, the attack reflected a paradigm shift in the tactics of Pakistan-based terror groups: the threat had moved from the ground to the air, rendering traditional security measures permanently inadequate.
The use of drones, however, had already been a regular feature across the restive Line of Control and International Border in J&K for over a year. One such drone, carrying a US-made M4 semi-automatic carbine, two magazines, 60 rounds and seven Chinese grenades, was shot down by the BSF near Kathua district’s Rathua village on June 20, 2020. The payload was reportedly marked with the name of Ali Bhai — believed to be a code name for a Jaish-e-Mohammad operative.
The introduction of drones has rendered established security measures obsolete and fundamentally changed how border security is conceived. According to a Ministry of Home Affairs report last year, two to three drones were sighted, and one drone incursion occurred daily, over the past five years. While the focus of incursions in Punjab and Rajasthan is primarily smuggling, the situation in J&K is especially challenging.
In J&K, drones are being used to airdrop weapons, ammunition and narcotics, conduct tactical surveillance, guide infiltrating militants and carry out attacks. Soon after the beginning of Operation Sindoor last year, drones became the weapon of choice — the first such use of drone swarms in an Indo-Pak conflict, changing the nature of border warfare permanently.
Between May 7 and 8 last year, Pakistan launched drone attacks using nearly 300-400 drones targeting around three dozen locations from Kashmir to Sir Creek in Gujarat. A large number targeted Jammu and Kashmir, and almost all were neutralised by Indian defence forces, an Army officer said.
Indian armed forces deployed SkyStriker Kamikaze drones, HAROP and Nagastra-1 during their campaign. Counter-drone systems were activated, including Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS), Direct Energy Weapons (DEWs) and the indigenous anti-drone D-4 system. A laser system called KAVACH has also been put into action in J&K to detect drone infiltration attempts and send early warnings. Forces have additionally deployed jammers to disrupt hostile drone flights and High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) drones to monitor difficult terrain.
The BSF, primarily responsible for border security, raised its first drone squadron last year to bolster its capabilities.
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In the air, but also on the ground
While drones have transformed military operations over India’s borders since Operation Sindoor, the shift is equally visible on the ground. A senior Army officer in the Northern Command told The Indian Express that the “advent of drone and anti-drone technologies changed the dynamics along the Indo-Pak border to a great extent.”
He described an array of advanced sensors — thermal imagers, underground sensors (UGS), fibre-optic sensors, radar and sonar — that form an invisible electronic barrier even where physical patrolling is impossible, providing round-the-clock real-time monitoring. Drones also help “carry out effective surveillance,” reduce troop fatigue from physical domination patrols, enhance reaction capabilities and overcome weather and terrain-related difficulties. Optical fibre cable-based and tethered drones, which are not prone to jamming, provide an added advantage, he said.
Another officer put it starkly: “Everything is different after Op Sindoor. The very nature of military campaigns has changed across the world. I think drones have done to military strategy what cellular phones did to telephone communication. Till recently, physical patrolling was the only way to confront infiltration attempts. It was a tiresome exercise that continued round the year. Now there is additional support to keep watch.”
Officials in the security forces and the UT administration say that Pakistan’s frequent use of drones has significantly altered security dynamics along both the International Border and the Line of Control. The technology-driven approach has contributed to a sharp fall in infiltration attempts and a significant decrease in militant skirmishes on the border.
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“Earlier, we used to consider only the five-kilometre belt along the borders as crucial for maintaining vigil and accordingly impose dusk-to-dawn curfew restricting all movement there,” a senior UT administration official said. “Now, with the advent of drones from Pakistan, joint teams of security forces and police patrol and establish nakas behind this five-kilometre belt as well, to rule out drone droppings near civilian areas.” Policing in border areas has been further intensified through the recruitment of Village Defence Guards from local youth, who patrol and keep vigil in their respective areas around the clock.
The shift is evident from the sharp fall in human infiltration bids — from 143 in 2018 to just 34 in 2021. Since that year, contraband, arms, ammunition, explosives and even Indian currency, which earlier came mainly through cross-border land routes and underground tunnels, are being dropped in J&K by Pakistani drones. J&K Police and other security agencies have seized nearly 68,000 kg of narcotics valued at around Rs 30,000 crore across the Union Territory. Of these, heroin tops the list by value, with more than 539 kg — valued at nearly Rs 3,200 crore — seized by J&K Police in Jammu region alone over the past five years.
Nearly 1,000 weapons, mostly AK rifles, along with over 28,000 rounds of ammunition and 252 detonators, were seized between 2021 and May 2023 across J&K. In the Jammu region, police alone have seized 247 weapons, 182 IEDs, 409 grenades, more than 11 kg of explosives, two packets of RDX, cash worth Rs 2.53 crore and 15,000 US dollars.
Why Pakistan made the switch
Former J&K DGP Kuldeep Khoda said Pakistan turned to drones because border fencing, night vision devices, lasers and other monitoring systems made ground infiltration along both the International Border and LoC near impossible. “As drones were easier to penetrate, it started sending weapons and narcotics through them to keep low-grade terrorism alive in J&K. Through drones, it managed to avoid the human chain used earlier for sending weapons and the hawala network for funding terrorism. Now, drones are dropping weapons for use by terrorists and narcotics to fund terrorism through their sale proceeds,” he said.
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Former DGP S P Vaid described drone use as part of Pakistan’s continuously evolving tactics. “Earlier, it sent arms through guides; when India raised fences, they gave militants wire cutters. When India electrified the fence, they used plastic ladders and tunnels. Drones are just the latest tactic to try and destroy India,” he said, acknowledging that despite counter-drone measures, some drones continue to get through.
A retired senior Army officer noted that drone introduction has brought a new type of soldier — one who is well-versed in technology and capable of responding to modern warfare. He cautioned that not every drone can be picked up by radar due to factors like coverage area and low-altitude flight, making 24×7 vigilance imperative.
“Earlier, troops were especially alert at night along borders — during the day, everything coming through land routes was visible. Now they have to cover the borders around the clock,” he said. He also flagged a tactical concern: Pakistan may be using drones to keep troops occupied watching the sky while pushing terrorists through land routes.
Within the Army, significant investment has gone into drone training. Drone competitions are now held between units, brigades and divisions, with battalions purchasing equipment from regimental funds to train on obstacles. As drones and high-tech equipment become integral to infantry units, expertise in operating them is a priority — though, the officer stressed, without compromising on basic physical fitness.
