NEW DELHI: The first-of-its-kind counterterrorism training between the European Union (EU) and India, which started on October 13 culminated on Wednesday. The training involved the protection of critical infrastructure and soft targets against emerging threats from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or drones, as they are commonly known.
The European External Action Service (EEAS), the European Union's diplomatic service, said in a statement, "The three-day exercise brought together senior officers, instructors and technical experts from India's National Security Guard (NSG) and the EU's High Risk Security Network (HRSN), and focused on the use of advanced UAS and Counter-UAS (C-UAS) capabilities."
Setting the foundation for future collaboration, "The peer-to-peer activity blended tactical and technological training, culminating in a joint exercise designed to strengthen interoperability," it said. As per EEAS, the training also strengthened mitigation skills and familiarised participants with deployment models for major events.
Participants also deliberated on the future trajectory of drone threats, including swarm and autonomous systems and the need for advanced detection and neutralisation technologies such as artificial intelligence, sensor fusion, directed energy and kinetic countermeasures. Highlighting challenges of drone proliferation, the EEAS said, "The rapid proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and their misuse by state and non-state actors pose serious security challenges. Commercial drones have advanced rapidly in both technology and accessibility, making them inexpensive and adaptable tools. Violent extremists have exploited these devices for purposes ranging from surveillance to carrying out attacks."
The EU HRSN - a specialised European platform of 28 units from 21 European Union Member States - brought a team of UAS and C-UAS instructors and technical experts to Manesar, Gurugram. India's elite counterterrorism force, NSG, which is under the Ministry of Home Affairs, led the training with its extensive operational experience in detecting, tracking and neutralising hostile drones.
Special Forces training on UAS counter-terrorism tactics in urban environments, combined with a joint tactical simulation exercise, allowed NSG and HRSN units to test and strengthen real-world response capabilities. The EEAS added that the activity will result in the drafting of standard operating procedures for integrated drone and counter-drone operations in various settings, and an Engagement Decision Matrix tailored to protect mass gatherings and critical infrastructure.
European Union Ambassador to India Herve Delphin said, "This joint training shows how the EU and India are turning commitment into action, working side by side to keep our citizens safe. Like India, the EU and its Member States have been directly exposed to direct and deliberate drone-related threats. Such threats evolve rapidly, as part of hybrid tactics. Only swift and coordinated responses will keep us ahead. Hence the importance of such a joint training seminar." The event was organised by the EU Delegation to India in cooperation with the NSG and facilitated by EU project ESIWA+ (Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia and the Indo-Pacific).
The initiative builds on the College of Commissioners' visit to India in February 2025 and the recently announced Joint Communication on a New Strategic EU-India Agenda, which prioritises deeper collaboration on counter-terrorism. This training is a follow-up to the India-EU Track 1.5 Roundtable on Countering Terrorist Exploitation of UAS held in February 2024. The activity aligns with the EU's Indo-Pacific Strategy and builds upon the ongoing EU-India Counterterrorism Dialogue.
EU-India cooperation in counterterrorism
The EU and India regularly engage in Counterterrorism Dialogues, which contribute to their technical cooperation efforts in the field. The most recent Dialogue, the 15th iteration, took place in Brussels on September 9, 2025. In February 2022, the EU and India held their first joint workshop on terrorism content online, building on the Counterterrorism Dialogue held in November 2020. This online workshop addressed the pressing issue of terrorist exploitation of the internet, while exploring innovative prevention campaigns and interventions.
Since then, the EU-India Counterterrorism Dialogue has continued to prioritise the regulation of terrorist content online, elevating it to one of the top two main priorities during the March 2022 discussion.
As the world's two largest democracies, the European Union and India share a commitment to a rules-based global order, effective multilateralism, and sustainable development. Since 2004, India has been a strategic partner of the EU, and 2022 marked the 60th anniversary of their relations.
The collaboration between the EU and India from 2020 to 2025 is steered by the EU-India Strategic Partnership Roadmap, the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and the Global Gateway Strategy. There are over 50 EU-India sectoral dialogues.
ESIWA+ (Enhancing the EU's Security Cooperation In and With Asia and the Indo-Pacific) works in four thematic areas: counterterrorism and preventing violent extremism, crisis management/ addressing hybrid threats, cyber security, and maritime security. ESIWA+ is co-funded by the European Union, Germany, and France, and is co-implemented by the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), and by Expertise France.
