Drone Warfare Capacity Building in Securing India’s National Interests

This paper seeks to make a case for the utility of drone warfare in securing India’s national interests. It begins by establishing how drone proliferation acts as a threat and opportunity in the context of India’s security objectives and discusses the importance of drone warfare capacity building in countering the security threats faced by India. It then highlights the benefits and areas of operation where the Indian military could use drone warfare to achieve its objectives from ISR and Dull, Dirty and Dangerous’ missions to counter-terrorism and logistics. It also talks about anti-drone technology and the challenges associated with the same. Then, the paper examines the current state of drone and anti-drone warfare capacity in India. Finally, it discusses five considerations that must be addressed in the way forward for drone warfare capacity building. The paper argues that considering India’s geopolitical realities, it is impertinent that India takes action to build its drone warfare capacity both via indigenous production and international procurement.