India’s Drone Army

Real Clear Defense  |  Liam Collins, John Spencer

The Indian Army is rapidly accelerating the acquisition, production, and integration of unmanned aerial systems and counter-drone technologies following lessons from Operation Sindoor in May 2025. This massive modernization effort includes a $2 billion accelerated drone procurement program and a $3 billion investment in integrated detection and interdiction systems.

To bypass traditional multi-year acquisition cycles, New Delhi is leveraging emergency procurement powers that allow the military to spend up to 15 percent of its capital budget on fast-tracked technologies. Under the "Eagle on the Arm" initiative launched by Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, the service aims to distribute drones to every soldier while establishing 26 dedicated drone regiments. Furthermore, tactical units are utilizing 3D printers to manufacture components locally, shortening the loop between battlefield requirements and operational deployment. This bottom-up adaptation represents one of the most ambitious military modernization experiments outside of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Comment

The Indian Army's "Eagle on the Arm" initiative marks a doctrinal shift from employing drones as specialist enablers to embedding them within routine tactical operations. Establishing twenty-six dedicated drone regiments institutionalises distributed unmanned capabilities while accelerating battlefield adaptation at the unit level. This evolution increases the importance of electronic warfare resilience, rapid data exploitation, and decentralised decision-making across contested operational environments. Success will depend less on drone numbers than on integrating sensors, communications, and trained personnel into a coherent combat system.

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