In post-Sindoor push, BSF trains first 'drone commandos'

The school is part of a broader push by the BSF to integrate drones into operations, especially as large-scale drone deployment is planned

In just five weeks, 47 BSF personnel will complete training at a newly inaugurated school in Madhya Pradesh and emerge as the force's first "drone commandos," reported The Indian Express.

The academy, which opened earlier this month, is equipping these soldiers with skills to operate drones for surveillance, combat missions, and counter-UAV operations. Future batches will include senior officers who will focus on drone warfare strategy.

"After Operation Sindoor and in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, we understood that modern battles are increasingly fought using aerial vehicles rather than traditional tanks and guns. Soldiers once relied on rifles and LMGs; now, drones must become a personal weapon," said Shamsher Singh, ADG of the BSF Academy, to The Indian Express. "Just as our personnel can assemble and disassemble an INSAS in 15 seconds, we want them to gain similar mastery over drones - flying, repairing, and conducting both defensive and offensive operations."

The Drone Warfare School offers two key programs: Drone Commandos for personnel and Drone Warriors for officers. It operates across three wings - flying and piloting, tactical operations, and research and development.

"Our training ensures that drone commandos can carry a drone like a weapon, use it for surveillance, patrol, neutralize enemy drones, and even deploy explosives if required," Singh added.

Brigadier Rupinder Singh, head of training, said the curriculum blends flying, technical knowledge, and tactical exercises. BSF Academy IG Umed Singh noted that the school is also preparing instructors who will train field units on drone operations. "Drone orientation has already been made compulsory in all Academy courses for both personnel and officers," he told The Indian Express.

The school is part of a broader push by the BSF to integrate drones into operations, especially as large-scale drone deployment is planned. Drawing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the force is fast-tracking the incorporation of drones at the battalion level for tasks ranging from routine patrolling to offensive operations.

Collaborations are underway with IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur to develop indigenous drones, equip them with weapons, and enhance surveillance capabilities. The BSF has also established a Drone Technology Lab within its Rustam Ji Institute of Technology at Tekanpur, which studies UAV data and forensic evidence from drones captured along the India-Pakistan border.

Additionally, the BSF's Police Technology Innovation Centre is exploring offensive drone operations. A senior official told The Indian Express, "We are developing faster drones capable of carrying guns, kamikaze drones, or payloads up to 200 kg. Some drones can conduct surveillance over 500 km in a single sortie, detect barbed wire, and capture high-resolution imagery - all of which strengthens border patrolling and defence."

The force is leveraging IIT Kanpur to forensically analyse captured drones and working with IIT Delhi on projects involving noiseless and weaponised UAVs. "We are pursuing multiple initiatives, including stealth technology, AI integration, and weaponised drones," the officer said.