The first flight of the indigenously developed Divyastra Mk3 is a positive step, as the Indian Army increasingly relies on UAS technology in warfare. Today’s warfare is undergoing a fundamental shift: battles are no longer measured solely by the number of tanks, fighter jets, missiles, and troops. UAS are increasingly becoming the preferred tool for surveillance, targeting, precision strikes, and electronic warfare. Therefore, the successful flight of the indigenous Divyastra Mk3 jet in August 2026 is not only a technological breakthrough, but also a sign of India’s efforts to adapt to a more networked, technology-driven, and independent battlefield.
Drone warfare uses unmanned aerial systems to gather intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), locate targets, conduct precision strikes, electronic warfare, and provide communications support. Recent wars have demonstrated that the use of drones can revolutionize the way wars are fought and economic operations. Drones also have the potential to transform the nature and economics of military operations, as evidenced by recent wars. The Russia-Ukraine war demonstrated the threat posed by relatively inexpensive drones to expensive tanks, artillery, warships, and other conventional military equipment. When it comes to military superiority, it’s no longer just about possessing expensive platforms, but about the ability to deploy large numbers of inexpensive, flexible, and intelligent systems.
The benefits of using drones are vast, and one of the most significant is that they save human lives in dangerous operations. ISR drones can be used to reconnaissance enemy territory, keeping pilots and soldiers safe from danger. They can provide commanders with real-time information about enemy locations, troop numbers, and battlefield conditions. This leads to a better understanding of the situation and allows for quicker, more informed decisions. This is a highly valuable strategic capability for a country like India, where borders are complex, mountainous terrain exists, and operational conditions vary.
Loiter munitions are revolutionizing warfare by eliminating the need for a sensor-to-shooter approach. Using conventional weapons, it can take considerable time to locate a target, transmit information about it, select the appropriate weapon, and launch an attack. Loiter munitions can search for, identify, and engage a target in a much shorter timeframe. This is particularly useful for time-sensitive targets and for mobile enemy troops. Thus, the Divyastra Mk3 is a significant development in building India’s indigenous precision-strike capability and reducing the time from target detection to attack.
Drones are also impacting the economics of war. Low-cost unmanned platforms can damage or destroy assets costing many times more. This poses a serious challenge to conventional armies. Commercially available technologies were rapidly put to military use during the Russia-Ukraine war, as evidenced by the use of first-person view (FPV) drones. However, small drones carrying cameras and explosives can target vulnerable points in tanks and other armored vehicles at a much lower cost than precision-guided weapons. Therefore, the ability to adapt civilian technology to military needs and rapidly develop new ideas will become even more important in the future context of warfare.
The second major change is drone swarms. Large numbers of coordinated drones can overload or “overwhelm” conventional air defense systems. Conventional air defense missiles are very effective at shooting down a single aircraft or missile, but it is not economically viable to shoot down a hundred or more cheap drones with expensive missiles. Defenders will face significant cost challenges in the event of a large-scale drone attack. This means that the battlefield of the future may become a struggle between drone fleets and multi-layered anti-drone (CD) capabilities capable of detecting, pursuing, and neutralizing multiple threats simultaneously.
The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to accelerate this transformation. AI has the potential to improve navigation, object recognition, and target identification, as well as coordinate between multiple unmanned systems. This increased independence can help drones operate in the event of communications failures due to electronic warfare. However, AI-powered autonomy also raises significant ethical, legal, and accountability questions. Responsibility for the consequences of an autonomous system’s misdirection of targets is sometimes unclear. Therefore, military effectiveness must be evaluated within the context of meaningful human control, the rules of war must be transparent, and standards of accountability must be clear.
India has begun taking significant steps toward developing drone warfare capabilities. The Divyastra Mk3 enhances indigenous precision strike capabilities and is a result of the growing focus on indigenous unmanned systems. This is particularly important for indigenous propulsion, as reliance on imported engines and key components could lead to strategic vulnerabilities in times of conflict. Therefore, the development of jet engines by DG Propulsion is crucial to reducing dependence on foreign technologies and achieving technological self-reliance.
The reorganization of the Indian Army also indicates that the military is beginning to understand the importance of drones in future warfare. The Ashwini drone platoon and Divyastra battery are steps aimed at better integrating unmanned systems into battle formations. Indigenous precision-guided weapons like DRDO’s ULPGM-V3 could further enhance the combat capabilities of UAV platforms. Meanwhile, the development of indigenously developed strike drones is contributing to the expansion of unmanned capabilities. Progress made so far indicates that India is moving towards the planned use of drones on the battlefield.
However, India’s level of preparedness is still far from perfect. One of the biggest threats to drone use is electronic warfare. Jamming and spoofing can disrupt navigation and communication links. If a drone’s navigation system or command link fails, it could become ineffective at the most critical time. Future Indian systems will need to have secure communications, anti-jamming systems, other navigation systems, and a high degree of autonomy.
Another critical requirement is anti-drone capabilities. This doesn’t mean you can’t find a way to shoot down a cheap drone with an expensive missile, but it’s not always possible. India needs cost-effective and multi-layered solutions that include anti-drone directed energy weapons, emerging technologies, electronic jamming, detection networks, kinetic interception, and other solutions. Developing indigenous sensors, electronics, semiconductors, and secure processors is equally important. Reliance on foreign key technologies could pose serious problems in a protracted conflict.
Drones are revolutionizing precision warfare with their adaptable, autonomous, and cost-effective weapons. They are transforming the nature of hostilities and defensive strategies, and even changing the traditional economics of military power. The Divyastra Mk3 is an important symbol of India’s efforts to adapt to these changing times. But simply having more drones is not enough for preparedness. India must integrate indigenous innovations into military doctrine, electronic warfare, artificial intelligence, secure communications, and effective counter-drone technologies. The nation that can integrate all of these has the greatest chance of winning the wars to come.
(Dr. Priyanka Saurabh, PhD (Political Science), is a poet and social thinker.)
