Artillery's new 'Shaktibaan' units mark a doctrinal shift from massed firepower to precision strikes

From the boom of big guns to the buzz of drone propellers, the artillery is witnessing a perceptible change in the manner in which it will fight. Over the past few days, the Army battle-tested the efficacy of its newest combat units, the Shaktibaan regiments, during Exercise Kharga Shakti – 2026, a large-scale corps level field drill in the deserts of Rajasthan, that marks a doctrinal shift from massed firepower to precision strikes.

Conceived as part of a modernisation push alongside other war fighting elements like the Rudra all-arms brigades and the Bhairav light commando battalions to meet the operational requirements of a technology-driven, high-intensity, multi-domain environment, the Shaktibaan regiments are specialised artillery units to spearhead drone-based warfare and precision strike capability.

Shaktibaans replace traditional artillery guns with different types of unmanned aerial systems like swarm drones, loitering munitions and long-range unmanned aerial vehicles capable of strikes from 5 km to 500 km.

Operationalised in early 2026, the Army intends to raise 15-20 such units. The name "Shaktibaan" in Hindi translates to "power arrow" or "spear of strength", symbolising precision strikes.

The Doctrinal Shift

The concept marks a doctrinal shift towards technology-driven "smart" firepower rather than mass conventional artillery barrages by guns, howitzers and rockets as was witnessed in earlier wars, even campaigns like the 1999 Kargil conflict. It focuses on precision, reduced risk to human life and adaptation to modern drone-heavy battlefields.

The employment of Shaktibaans bridge the gap in the tactical domain between the reach of conventional artillery guns, which is about 40 km, and the larger cruise missiles and ballistic missiles for providing fire support or neutralising high value targets.

The Armed Forces are laying a great deal of emphasis on drone and counter-drone warfare for offensive operations, surveillance and intelligence gathering, electronic warfare, logistics and medical evacuation.

A vast variety of tactical and strategic drones and UAS with different capabilities have been inducted by the Armed Forces and impetus is also being given for indigenous design and development by the industry. Several systems have also been fabricated in-house by the forces.

Legacy of the Artillery

Traditionally, the Regiment of Artillery has provided heavy fire support to ground forces holding the frontline or launching offensives. Firing from several kilometres behind the ‘sharp-end’, their guns were employed to counter enemy assaults, degrade or soften up enemy defences for an offensive and destroy enemy infrastructure. This was done by bringing in a large volume of directed fire onto a concentrated area, often requiring hundreds of shells to be fired.

The Artillery is the second largest component of the Indian Army after the Infantry, comprising about 200 units. These include field and medium regiments equipped with 105 mm, 130 mm and 155 mm towed or self-propelled guns, rocket regiments with GRAD, Pinaka and Smerch multi-barrel rocket launchers, missile regiments with Prithvi and Agni ballistic missiles and Surveillance and Target Acquisition (SATA) units.

The Regiment of Artillery traces its origins to the raising of the 8th Company of the Golandaz (Gunner) Battalion, Bombay Foot Artillery by the British East India Company in September 1827. The unit, later renamed as 5 (Bombay) Mountain Battery, continues to be in service.

The use of Artillery in India, however, goes back much further. Some historical excerpts mention the use of guns by the Bahmani Sultanate against the Vijayanagara Empire during the Battle of Adoni in 1368, and by King Mohammed Shah of Gujarat in the 15th century.

Mughal Emperor Babur used it effectively during the Battle of Panipat in 1526 to defeat the much larger army of Ibrahim Lodhi of the Delhi sultanate. Later, the British East India Company raised the first regular company of artillery in 1748, with a small percentage of Indian gunners called Gun Lashkars, Tindals and Serangs.