Russia-Ukraine war lessons: Rajnath Singh pushes drone defences, AI integration through Udaan in IAF

New Delhi: The defence minister, Rajnath Singh, on Thursday urged the Indian Air Force to prepare for a changing nature of warfare, where drones, missiles and cyberattacks are becoming increasingly important. Addressing the Air Force Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi, he also called for better intelligence and surveillance to detect enemy movements before they turn into threats.

In a post on X, Singh stressed the need to strengthen both offensive and defensive capabilities to maintain the element of surprise. He asked the forces to develop ways to keep adversaries from responding in time while ensuring they were never caught off guard.

“Our defence forces must develop capabilities and methods that leave the adversary with no time to react or recover, while simultaneously ensuring that we are never caught off guard by an unexpected move from the enemy,” Singh said.

Referring to the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts, the defence minister pointed to the growing use of drones and air-defence systems. He asked commanders to prepare for kamikaze drones, surveillance and counterdrone operations, while also strengthening the Air Force’s ability to respond to threats in cyber, electronic and space domains.

Singh said future conflicts would require more than a large fleet of aircraft. He stressed that technology, quick responses and accurate planning would play an equally important role in determining military success.

The defence minister also praised the IAF’s role during Operation Sindoor, saying the force had carried out its responsibilities with professionalism, restraint and sound judgment. He said the experience had influenced changes in its operational procedures, particularly the increased focus on drones and air defence systems.

He also highlighted the coordination between the armed forces during the operation, calling for the three Services to continue working together in future military planning.

On training, Singh urged commanders to prepare air warriors for new technologies and make better use of the technical knowledge brought by younger recruits. He also addressed the second tour of duty for Agniveers, saying the decision followed feedback from the armed forces. He expressed confidence that the initiative would strengthen all three services.

IAF introduces Udaan-developed AI apps

During the conference, Singh launched a set of artificial intelligence applications developed by the IAF’s AI Centre of Excellence under its unit for digitization, automation, AI and application networking (Udaan).

According to the defence ministry, the applications will help automate and speed up work related to operations, administration and aerospace safety. They have been deployed on the IAF’s secure network.

The inaugural session was attended by the minister of state for defence, Sanjay Seth; the chief of the air staff, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit; the defence secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh; and other senior defence ministry officials.

The two-day conference brings together commanders from all IAF commands, principal staff officers and director generals. This year’s theme is ‘The Year of Empowerment: Maximizing Efficiency Through Decentralisation’, with discussions covering the Air Force’s operations, maintenance and administration.