India’s First Baaz Drone Battalion: What It Reveals About the Indian Army Post Op Sindoor

CNAWS | Rajas Purandare

The Indian Army has raised its first Baaz drone battalion under the Jalandhar-based 11 Corps to institutionalise unmanned warfare along the sensitive Indo-Pak border in northern Punjab. This specialized unit consolidates long-range intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and target acquisition capabilities to counter cross-border smuggling and hostile drone incursions. Prompted by lessons from the 2020 Ladakh standoff and the multi-domain integration demonstrated during Operation Sindoor, the formation marks a transition from experimental tactical drone use to structured, large-scale deployment.

The battalion operates a mixed fleet including Israeli Heron and Hermes platforms, indigenous Ghatak drones, and incoming American MQ-9B SkyGuardian aircraft. Data integration remains the primary operational challenge. To secure these networks, the army is pairing the unit with the SAKSHAM command and control system, developed with Bharat Electronics Limited, to enable AI-driven threat evaluation and electronic warfare hardening.

Comment

The transition of the Indian Army from ad-hoc drone acquisitions to the structured raising of the Baaz battalion under the Vajra Corps represents a fundamental shift in operational philosophy. Rather than treating unmanned platforms as isolated reconnaissance assets, the Eagle-in-Arm doctrine integrates these systems directly into the command structure of conventional formations. This institutionalisation bridges the operational gap between short-range Ashni infantry systems and high-altitude MQ-9B SkyGuardian flights. The change reflects a doctrinal realisation that persistent aerial oversight by the Vajra Corps is a prerequisite for modern defensive manoeuvres along the Punjab frontier.

The operational mechanism of this doctrinal shift relies on the SAKSHAM command and control system to synthesise multi-sensor feeds. By utilising artificial intelligence to process telemetry from Hermes and Heron platforms, the system bypasses traditional hierarchical delays in target acquisition. This automated sensor-to-shooter link allows the Jalandhar-based command to execute rapid counter-measures against hostile Turkish-origin Songar drones.

Strategic Question for Discussion

If the SAKSHAM command and control system is subjected to intense electronic warfare along the Punjab frontier, does the Indian Army's decentralized target acquisition model under the Eagle-in-Arm doctrine remain viable, or does it risk command-and-control fragmentation?

The available evidence suggests that SAKSHAM's reliance on secure Army Data Networks provides a resilient baseline, but localized electronic jamming could still isolate individual Ashni platoons. In such scenarios, the doctrine's success depends on whether operators can transition to pre-delegated engagement authorities without losing real-time synchronization with the Vajra Corps command. My assessment is that while hardware redundancy is planned, the operational friction of degraded communications will initially slow the sensor-to-shooter cycle.

Share your assessment in the comments below.

To read in details click here