New Delhi: In a decisive move to bolster border security, the Border Security Force (BSF) is set to raise its first dedicated "drone squadrons" to neutralise aerial threats and launch precision counter-attacks across the India-Pakistan border. The initiative comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory offensive launched after the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives.
During the four-day conflict from May 7 to 10, Pakistan reportedly deployed nearly 1,000 drones to target Indian military and civilian establishments. One such attack on May 10 at BSF’s Kharkola post in Jammu’s RS Pura sector resulted in the death of two BSF personnel and one Army jawan, with four others critically injured—one requiring leg amputation.
Responding to the escalation, the government has fast-tracked the deployment of specialised drone units across select Border Outposts (BoPs) along the 3,323-km India-Pakistan border, spanning Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir. These units will feature a mix of surveillance, reconnaissance, long-endurance, and kamikaze drones, operated by specially trained BSF personnel. Each BoP will host a team of 2–3 operators, with command oversight centralized at the BSF’s western command in Chandigarh.
“Post Operation Sindoor, this became a top national security priority. The government has made it clear that there will be no fund constraints,” said a senior official as quoted by news agency PTI.
In addition to drone deployment, the BSF is reinforcing its frontline infrastructure. Bunkers and protective structures are being upgraded with alloy sheets and blast-resistant materials to withstand potential drone-borne explosives. Counter-drone technologies, including jammers and radar-blinding tools, are also being integrated into high-risk zones.
The BSF’s enhanced drone warfare capabilities aim not only to neutralise cross-border terror threats but also to clamp down on rising incidents of drone-assisted drug and arms smuggling. In recent months, BSF units in Punjab have intercepted multiple UAVs carrying heroin and weapon parts.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently lauded the BSF’s offensive during Operation Sindoor, stating the force had destroyed or damaged more than 118 Pakistani posts and crippled their surveillance systems.
With drone warfare emerging as a new frontier in cross-border hostilities, the formation of dedicated BSF drone squadrons marks a strategic shift in India’s border defence doctrine, transforming from reactive to pre-emptive and technologically assertive.
BI Bureau
