Proliferation of drones a challenge: Army chief General MM Naravane

The proliferation of drones, to the extent that they are now a do-it-yourself project at home, is a challenge and they will increasingly be used by state and non-state actors in the future for all aspects of combat, said Army chief General MM Naravane.

The comments, which come days after a first of its kind rotary wing drone attack on the Jammu airbase, reflect a growing threat from terrorists using cheap systems to carry out high-profile strikes against conventional targets.

Speaking at a webinar on Thursday, he said India is factoring in the increased use of such systems in its future planning and that troops are being trained to deal with the threat. “We are developing the capability to deal with this threat in both kinetic and non-kinetic realms. Troops have also been sensitised to the evolving threat,” he said.


Naravane said the Army was “focusing on the offensive use of drones as well as using counter-drone technology to tackle the threat”. Referring to a demonstration of a swarm drone system in January, he said: “This display of pre-programmed drones destroying a variety of simulated targets is reflective of our seriousness and focus on this emerging technology.”