This paper seeks to make a case for the utility of drone warfare in securing India’s national interests. It begins by establishing how drone proliferation acts as a threat and opportunity in the context of India’s security objectives and discusses the importance of drone warfare capacity building in countering the security threats faced by India. It then highlights the benefits and areas of operation where the Indian military could use drone warfare to achieve its objectives from ISR and Dull, Dirty and Dangerous’ missions to counter-terrorism and logistics.

… India must become the bulwark of an alternative Asian and international security system … in this context India’s continental threat gravitates on the defensive construct of ‘not ceding an inch of territory,’ and limited-depth offensives. This goes against the very fundamental doctrinal premises of the employment of offensive air power followed by all Air Forces ...

The US Department of Defence (DoD) Annual Report of 2020 on China Military Power released in September 2020 brings out China’s meteoric military progress in recent years. The report states that China is already ahead of the United States in certain areas such as shipbuilding, land-based conventional ballistic and cruise missiles, and integrated air defence system.

… there are many hurdles to cross in our endeavour to reform our system of national defence to meet the parameters of the nation’s military threats, technological and industrial capacities and fiscal affordability… The CDS … would be just one ‘cog’, albeit a central one, in the management of national defence … it would need a conducive ground to perform in the best manner desired ... In order reap the advantages its full measure, there have to be rebuilt the entire system of our defence management – defence reforms, in short …