Op-Sindoor has changed war-fighting architecture

Months after a skirmish with Pakistan, from May 7-10, the Army’s war-fighting architecture has undergone an upgrade. A drone-based battle system has been operationalised while it has started raising new fighting units to fill the gap between special forces and regular infantry battalions.

Both represent a transformation in the structure and operational capabilities.

On the drone front, all the 385 infantry battalions of the Army now have a specialised drone unit called ‘Ashni’.

The new fighting units, are called the ‘Bhairav battalions’ and the first five, were deployed on October 31. Another 20 such battalions are in the pipeline, to be raised over the next couple of months.

Operation Sindoor exposed gaps on rapid targeting of enemy positions on ground and enemy drones, leading to the push for integrating dedicated drone units within infantry battalions.

The Ashni units have surveillance drones and loitering munitions, also known as ‘kamikaze’ drones. Meaning each infantry battalion now has ability to do precision strikes, which was lacking in previous border operations.

The change symbolizes Army’s focus on networked, tech-enabled infantry formations capable of greater lethality in low-intensity conflict. Each ‘Ashni’ platoon consists of 20-25 specially trained personnel focused exclusively on drone operations.

Before the Ashni came up, drone operators were attached as small support units, now they are integral units within the infantry battalion. These units employ multi-domain drone tactics, including surveillance, target acquisition, battlefield manoeuvre and electronic warfare, enhancing the Army’s lethality and survivability.

Eagle on the arm

Ashni platoons are part of the indigenous innovation to forge a decisive technological edge. Guided by the mantra “Eagle on Every Arm.” The Army’s Southern Command has created a robust, in-house ecosystem for design, development, and large-scale production of combat-ready drones, translating the self-reliant vision into battlefield capability.

The Command’s Drone hubs produced drones which were ‘field-tested’ during ongoing ‘Exercise Trishul’.

Bhairav Battalions

Five of these have been deployed and are capable of rapid, high-impact missions along India’s borders. These battalions bridge the gap between regular infantry formations and Special Forces units, acting as specialized troops designed for surprise attacks, cross-border raids, disruptive operations and advanced reconnaissance — especially along the volatile China and Pakistan frontiers.

Each Bhairav Battalion comprises roughly 250 highly trained personnel, larger than the elite Ghatak platoons (about 20 soldiers) but smaller than traditional infantry battalions

Troops are drawn from various arms including Infantry, Artillery, Air Defence and Signals, creating multi-skilled, integrated teams for cohesive operations. Units receive rigorous training in mountain, jungle, and commando warfare, including modules taught by experienced special forces instructors and specialists from institutions like the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) and Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS).

Equipment includes high-mobility vehicles, drones and loitering munitions, mortars, machine guns, ATGMs (Anti-Tank Guided Missiles), and electronic warfare systems to enable rapid insertion, surveillance, and fire support.

The Army plans to raise 25 Bhairav Battalions, with several already deployed to Northern, Eastern, and Western Commands.

Future with Counter UAS grid

Army has also okayed the procurement of a specialised, dedicated grid of radars and sensors to detect and track enemy drones while automatically providing the commander on ground the best option for shooting down the threat.

Options for shooting down a drone can be via a lethal shot or by sending a powerful radio-wave to disable it. In military parlance it’s called the ‘counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) grid system’ and ensures complete airspace security against aerial threats. To ensure speedy induction, the project has been approved under the fast-track procurement (FTP) route, with rollout to all field formations targeted within the next year.

The Army will be procuring an indigenous system named ‘Saksham’ produced by public sector company Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). This is to secure airspace upto 10,000 feet above the ground. The necessity for a comprehensive counter-UAS grid emerged prominently during Operation Sindoor, where hostile drone activity, meant swift detection and coordinated response was needed.

The ‘Saksham’ system is conceived as a high-end command and control system and will operate over Army’s own secure data network.

It will provide an integrated, picture to all formations in real time, within a define battle area. It will integrate own and enemy UAV data to provide automated decision support and real-time visualisation for field commanders.

It uses AI-driven technologies for future combat systems, enabling scalability and upgradation as threats evolve.