As part of its ongoing military modernisation programme, the Indian Army is exploring the creation of a specialised armoured sub-unit known as the "Shaurya Squadron", a proposal aimed at integrating drone and counter-drone capabilities directly with tank formations to enhance battlefield effectiveness. The proposed squadron is part of the Army's wider effort to transform itself into a leaner, faster and technology-driven force capable of operating across increasingly complex, multi-domain battlefields.
The concept was first publicly referenced during Exercise Amogh Jwala in March this year, when the present Chief of the Army Staff was serving as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Southern Command. The proposal resurfaced recently during a visit by the current GOC-in-C, Southern Command, Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar, to the 31 Armoured Division (White Tiger Division), where he reviewed the formation's operational preparedness and ongoing modernisation initiatives. During the visit, senior officers briefed Lt Gen Pushkar on the induction of new-generation equipment, artificial intelligence-enabled systems, unmanned platforms and technologies designed to counter hostile drones.
The Army is understood to be developing the Shaurya Squadron as a dedicated drone and counter-drone element within armoured regiments. Although the project remains at the conceptual stage, it is expected to operate alongside tanks by providing surveillance, reconnaissance and precision strike capabilities during combat operations. The move reflects the Army's growing emphasis on integrating unmanned systems into conventional combat formations as warfare increasingly shifts towards network-centric and technology-enabled operations.
Military planners have drawn significant lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where unmanned aerial systems have transformed armoured warfare by improving battlefield surveillance, enhancing target acquisition and exposing tanks to new aerial threats. The vulnerability of armoured vehicles to drones has prompted armies worldwide to adopt new defensive measures, including improvised protective structures such as "cope cages" and dedicated counter-drone systems. The Indian Army has also been examining several such protective technologies.
Under the proposed concept, the Shaurya Squadron could operate a combination of surveillance drones, first-person-view (FPV) attack drones, loitering munitions and swarm drone systems, enabling commanders to gather intelligence, identify targets and conduct precision engagements without depending entirely on higher headquarters. By embedding drone capabilities directly within armoured units, the Army aims to shorten the battlefield "sensor-to-shooter" cycle, the time between detecting a target and engaging it, thereby improving operational responsiveness and battlefield survivability. The organic drone capability is also expected to enable reconnaissance beyond the line of sight, provide real-time battlefield awareness, assist in post-strike damage assessment and support electronic warfare operations.
According to reports, elements of the Shaurya Squadron concept have already undergone preliminary evaluation during field trials at the Babina Field Firing Ranges, where the Army assessed the employment of drones for surveillance, precision strikes, logistics support and electronic warfare under realistic operational conditions. The feedback from these trials is expected to shape the final structure and role of the proposed squadron before any decision is taken on its wider induction across the Armoured Corps.
The Shaurya Squadron proposal forms part of a broader organisational overhaul underway within the Indian Army as it prepares for future conflicts increasingly characterised by artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, electronic warfare and integrated battlefield networks. Other reforms already underway include the raising of Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs), the creation of Ashni platoons for infantry formations, and the announced induction of specialist artillery units such as the Shaktibaan Regiment and the Divyastra Battery.
Defence experts view the proposed squadron as another step in the Army's effort to adapt its force structure to evolving battlefield realities, where the seamless integration of manned platforms with unmanned systems is expected to become a defining feature of future warfare.
