Indian Army to train 500,000 men in drone operations over 5 years

New Delhi: The Indian Army has prepared a roadmap to train 500,000 personnel in drone operations over the next five years. This is a part of the service’s efforts to prepare its soldiers for future asymmetric warfare, a senior officer said.

The Army Training Command commander, Lieutenant General Devendra Sharma, told reporters in Nasik that the force had trained 50,000 officers and soldiers in operating remotely piloted aerial systems (RPAS) in 2025.

Gen Sharma gave the information after he reviewed a graduation parade of the Combat Army Aviation Training School (CAATS, according to Indian media reports.

The drone training push comes from the lessons learned by the Indian Army from recent global conflicts and Operation Sindoor in May 2025 against Pakistan.

Gen Sharma said the recent conflicts have provided a valuable lesson on low-cost, commercially available drones being successfully deployed during wars to take out highly expensive targets.

The use of asymmetric warfare during conventional conflicts had altered the nature of modern wars and the economics of combat, he said.

“The push for widespread drone literacy follows strategic assessments of recent global conflicts, where low-cost commercial-grade drones have neutralized multi-million-dollar legacy systems, changing the arithmetic of combat across the world,” Gen Sharma was quoted as saying by a Times of India report.

Army institutions include drone training

The Army has now launched specialized drone warfare frameworks at 19 training institutions to impart precision and wings plans, drone manoeuvre areas, and advanced simulators, it said.

“Beyond surveillance, drones assist the Army in precision strikes, target destruction, and autonomous logistical resupplies in high-altitude or hostile terrains. These capabilities effectively hold a significant advantage, possessing superior information and making decisions faster,” he said.

“The focus on autonomous systems is also reshaping high-tier military aviation. At CAATS, drone training is now mandatory for conventional pilots. The school is also focusing on manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T), where manned helicopters operate in tandem with swarms of autonomous drones to execute complex operations,” he added.

Army transformation

The drone training initiatives reflect a broader army outlook to enable future soldiers to be proficient in both conventional and emerging tactical warfare on the battlefield.

The development comes a few days after the Army chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, told a media conference at Khadakwasla that he had been emphasizing the “eagle on the arm” concept of warfare.

“This means every soldier should have an ‘eagle’ in their hand … every soldier should have the capability to fly a drone. You have seen that our academies and other places, training for this is ongoing, simulators are there,” Gen Dwivedi said, after reviewing the 150th course of the National Defence Academy (NDA).

The Army chief also noted that the recent changes in the force’s order of battle and the creation of drone battalions, Divyastra batteries, Shaktimaan regiments, Bhairav battalions, and other technology-driven combat formations were part of the continuing transformation.

As reported earlier, the military was ready to procure $2 billion worth of drones this year, driven by the urgent requirements to update their battle readiness due to the proliferation of cheap drones in modern battlefields.