Why Is India Building Its Own Kamikaze Drone Arsenal?

As the world witness the changing dynamics in the battlefield with modern wars now being shaped by something much smaller, cheaper and hard to detect- the significance of Kamikaze Drones has now emerged as a key aspect in altering the dynamics of war theatre. 

Also known as loitering ammunitions, these drones can hover over a target area, identify a target and then crash into it carrying an explosive payload. 

Unlike conventional missiles and expensive fighter aircrafts, they can be produced in large numbers, are much cheaper than other conventional equipment and can be deployed at a fraction of the cost. 

According to reports, the Indian Air Force last week issued a limited tender enquiry and has decided to develop long range Kamikaze drones in partnership with the Indian industry, marking a departure from the earlier protocol. 

India's decision to rapidly expand its own Kamikaze drone arsenal reflects lessons learnt from the ongoing war between Russia-Ukraine, West Asia and its military operations (Operation Sindoor). 

Why now?

For many decades, precision strikes during the conflicts depended on fighter aircraft, missiles and artillery. However, the latest wars have demonstrated the significance of smaller and cheaper drones which are not just hard to detect but can significantly harm the enemy and could alter the battlefield dynamics. 

In this context, Kamikaze drones offer a crucial advantage to India - they can be mass-produced domestically and deployed across diverse theatres, from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean.

The armed forces have already inducted and ordered several indigenously produced loitering munitions systems as part of this broader shift. 

What changed after Ukraine, Iran and recent conflicts?

The Russia-Ukraine war transformed the military planners thinking at the global level. Cheaper drones and loitering munitions have repeatedly destroyed armoured vehicles, artillery positions and logistics hubs, as seen in these ongoing conflicts.

Similarly, Iran's reliance on Shahed-series one-way attack drones demonstrated how large number of cheaper drones can create a havoc for the adversary which posses expensive and sophisticated military equipment.

For India, which is facing a two-front battle, one from the Western theatre and the other from the Northern, these ongoing wars have showed that modern wars will not be won only by advanced missiles and other sophisticated equipment but also by thousands of such loitering munitions and drones. 

What did India learn from Operation Sindoor? 

As seen during the Operation Sindoor, loitering munitions and unmanned systems formed an important part of India's strike package against targets across the border. 

In an earlier interview to Outlook India, the Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi highlighted that, "Operation Sindoor gave us important validation of the operational utility of drones and loitering munitions in real battlefield conditions."

"It showed that unmanned systems can compress the sensor-to-shooter cycle, reduce risk to soldiers and deliver precise effects in short-duration, high-intensity operations," he added. 

Therefore, India's kamikaze drone push is not merely about acquiring a new weapon but reflects a broader recognition in the military planners thinking that warfare is changing and precision, affordability and autonomy are key pillars of the battlefield.