CHANDIGARH: The Indian Army announced the raising of a specialised and dedicated `Baaz’ (a hawk, a bird of prey) drone battalion at Jalandhar in Punjab under 11 Corps for operations along the western front with Pakistan to enhance its Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) capability in order to operate long-range drones for surveillance, logistics and attack roles and could operate a mix of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), including MQ-9B, Heron, Hermes, Ghatak and many others.
A post on X by VajraCorps-IndianArmy read, "GOC and all ranks #VajraCorps convey best wishes to Baaz battalion on their raising. Baaz adds a potent new dimension, enhancing aerial agility, responsiveness and battlefield reach. Interacting with Baaz aviators and warriors, GOC emphasised technology, innovation and operational excellence to sharpen the aerial edge for the future battlefield.’’
As it reflects the lessons learnt from the prolonged standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control and from the employment of UAV systems, besides tactical outcomes validated last year in May during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, the newly raised battalion will operate under 11 Corps at Jalandhar.
It is learnt that the raising had begun at select locations in the last few months and the unit raised at Jalandhar is the first such battalion in a state facing Pakistan.
As they would act as the centralised `brain’ to standardise training, manage the high-density technical data streaming from these mixed fleets, and rapidly handle the software updates or replenishment cycles required in high-intensity drone warfare, these battalions will have a specialist pool of personnel specifically trained to manage the drone ecosystem.
Sources said that "Baaz" would operate platforms like the long-range UAV MQ-9B, being sourced from the US company General Atomics, Heron and Hermes from Israel, and locally manufactured UAVs by firms IdeaForge, SMPP and NewSpace Research.
This initiative will provide frontline units of the Army with advanced aerial surveillance and situational awareness tools, which aligns with the "Decade of Transformation’’ and was announced by outgoing Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, who had said that the Army’s drone inventory has expanded sharply in recent years.
While the force operated only a few hundred drones around two years ago, it now possesses more than 50,000 unmanned systems.
Sources said that the battalion would be placed under the Army Aviation Corps and will be different from the "Divyastra batteries" of the artillery regiment, which carry and deploy loitering ammunition "one-way" drones. How many battalions would be set up is not known and are likely to be tasked for different purposes than the "Ashini drone platoons", which are part of the infantry battalions and are for tactical, immediate-vicinity surveillance.
Sources added that in the last few years, specialised Aviation Brigades have been set up and the Army Aviation Corps flies helicopters, including attack versions, along the front line.
The recent global conflicts, particularly the Russia-Ukraine war, have demonstrated the growing role of unmanned platforms in reconnaissance, battlefield intelligence and precision operations, reinforcing the importance of drone-led capabilities for armed forces worldwide.
