Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi: Accelerating absorption of drones, better command systems

General Dwivedi is set to retire as the Army chief at the end of this month. Much of the Army’s accelerated move towards procuring and inducting drones, unmanned aerial systems, loitering munitions and counter-drone capabilities have gathered pace during his tenure in the last two years. Various structures, procedures and command systems needed to absorb them into the force have also been set up during this time.

Declining to comment on the numbers and the cost of the drones procured by the Army, he said what is important is the absorption of drones, UAVs, loitering munitions and counter-UAS systems in a structured manner.

A wide range of capabilities, he said, have been bought and inducted, including micro and mini-UAVs for units, tactical drones for surveillance and target acquisition, logistics drones for difficult terrain, high-altitude surveillance platforms, loitering munitions for precision engagement, and counter-UAS systems such as sensors, jammers, spoofers and soft-kill and hard-kill options.

“Our approach is tiered, role-based and terrain-specific. At the infantry battalion level, Ashni drone platoons are being integrated to provide organic surveillance, target acquisition and tactical awareness. This will give the soldier and small team their own aerial awareness and tactical reach, an idea we have described as ‘Eagle on the Arm’,” he said.

“At the formation level, larger UAVs, loitering munitions and counter-UAS systems are being linked with artillery, air defence, aviation, intelligence and electronic warfare grids,” he said, adding that the aim is to shorten the sensor-to-shooter cycle and give commanders real-time battlefield awareness.

General Dwivedi said the Shaktibaan Regiments and Divyastra Batteries of the Army are also part of this restructuring in the Regiment of Artillery.

“They will strengthen unmanned and counter-unmanned capability, precision targeting and protection against hostile drone threats. The larger aim is not merely to procure drones, but to absorb them in the way the Army trains, operates and fights,” he said.

“We are also introducing better command and control arrangements for the drone-dense battlefield. The concept of a Unified Control Centre (UCC) at division levels has been introduced to manage the growing number of UAS and C-UAS systems at the tactical level,” he said, adding that this will help in coordination, deconfliction, tasking and optimum employment of unmanned assets.

Responding to a question on the broader changes in the Army based on lessons from Operation Sindoor and ongoing global conflicts, he said it has reinforced the belief that future conflicts will be multi-domain, technology-intensive, fast-paced and increasingly transparent.

“The lessons are being incorporated into doctrine, training, exercises, SOPs, procurement priorities and force structuring,” he said.

He said the focus areas of the Army’s capability-based approach include multi-sensor surveillance, drones, loitering munitions, counter-UAS systems, long-range precision fires, air defence, cyber, electronic warfare, secure communications and AI-enabled decision-support systems.

Operation Sindoor, he said, also validated the importance of integrated planning, real-time intelligence fusion, secure communications, precision weapons, drones, loitering munitions and compressed decision cycles.

“It reinforced the need for faster R&D, better quality systems, timely delivery and stronger integration among air defence, artillery, aviation, intelligence and electronic warfare assets,” he said.

Similarly, global conflicts have also shown that drones are not only platforms but consumables. “Therefore, inventory depth, modular designs, rapid repair chains and assured component supply are important. This strengthens the case for Atmanirbharta, because Indian solutions are required for Indian terrain, threats and operational conditions.”

Alongside technology, he said, the Army is strengthening mobility, survivability, logistics, surveillance architecture and communication networks to support faster mobilisation and sustained operations.

“Deployment postures are being kept flexible and balanced so that formations remain prepared for both short, high-intensity operations and longer contingencies. The larger aim is to make the Army more agile, networked, integrated and adaptive,” he said.

Asked about possible tweaks in the Agnipath scheme, General Dwivedi said the scheme should be seen as a major manpower reform aimed at making the Army younger, more energetic, disciplined and future-ready.

“The character of warfare is changing rapidly, and we need soldiers who are not only physically fit, but also technology-aware and capable of adapting quickly to drones, surveillance systems, secure communication networks, electronic warfare and modern battlefield tools,” he said, adding that Agniveers are making a positive contribution to the Army.

At the same time, the scheme, he said, is an evolutionary process. “The full cycle of the first batch is yet to be completed, and therefore it would be premature to arrive at a conclusion,” he said, adding that any decision on tweaks or refinements should be based on time, experience, operational feedback and institutional assessment.