Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Wednesday underscored the importance of developing indigenous counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) technologies, warning that dependence on foreign systems weakens India’s preparedness and operational flexibility.
Speaking at an event at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi, General Chauhan said that India’s experience in Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, highlights the strategic advantage of homegrown solutions tailored to the country’s unique terrain and operational requirements.
“Operation Sindoor has shown us why indigenously developed counter-UAS systems built for our terrain and needs are crucial. We must invest and build to safeguard ourselves,” Chauhan said, urging sustained investment in local defence capabilities.
He warned that foreign technologies often limit scalability, create logistical bottlenecks due to spare shortages, and risk tactical predictability.
“Dependence on foreign technologies weakens our preparedness, limits our ability to scale up production, and results in a shortfall of critical spares… Foreign capabilities are known to all, and adversaries can predict tactics based on them,” he noted.
The CDS revealed that Pakistan deployed unarmed drones and loitering munitions on May 10, but failed to inflict any damage on Indian military or civilian targets. Most enemy drones were neutralised using a mix of kinetic and non-kinetic methods, and some were even recovered in nearly intact condition.
On the evolving role of drones, General Chauhan said: “The development of drones has been evolutionary, but their employment in warfare has been revolutionary. With growing realisation, our forces have started using drones in transformative ways — as seen in several recent conflicts.”
General Chauhan also visited an exhibition showcasing efforts to indigenise critical UAV and counter-UAS components that are currently sourced from foreign OEMs.
The event served as a reaffirmation of India’s strategic push toward self-reliance in defence technologies, especially in counter-drone warfare which has become a key area of modern conflict.