Op Sindoor: In 5 weeks, BSF will get first batch of 47 ‘drone commandos’

In five weeks, 47 soldiers will graduate from the newly established Drone Warfare School at the BSF’s Tekanpur training institute as the force’s first “drone commandos,” The Indian Express reported.

The school, inaugurated earlier this month in Madhya Pradesh, is part of a broader push to integrate drones on a large scale following Operation Sindoor.

The training equips personnel to fly drones, conduct surveillance and combat missions, and counter enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The next phase will train senior officers in drone warfare strategy.

Following Operation Sindoor, Pakistan sent a wave of drones towards India’s border states. The operation had targeted Pakistan-backed terror groups after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed.

“After Operation Sindoor and in the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war, we realized that the battle is no longer happening with tanks and guns, but aerial vehicles. Until now we were walking on the battlefield with LMGs (light machine guns) and rifles. Now, the drone has to become a personal weapon,” said Shamsher Singh, ADG, BSF Academy as quoted by The Indian Express. “Our soldiers can dismantle and reassemble an INSAS in 15 seconds. We want them to have the same proficiency with drones. They should be able to repair, fly and conduct defensive and offensive operations.”

The Drone Warfare School runs two main courses: Drone Commandos for personnel and Drone Warriors for officers. It has three wings: flying and piloting, tactics (for defensive and offensive operations), and research and development.

“We are training our drone commandos in such a way that they are able to carry a drone like a weapon and use it to conduct surveillance and patrolling, neutralise other drones and drop a bomb if required,” Singh added.

Brigadier Rupinder Singh, head of training, said the curriculum covers flying, technical, and tactical skills. IG Umed Singh noted that the school is also preparing trainers to take drone operations to field units. “Already orientation on drones has been made compulsory in all training courses for personnel and officers at the Academy,” he said.

The Drone Warfare School marks a key step in the BSF’s broader plan for large-scale drone induction.