India And Pakistan Locked In Drone Arms Race

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – Although India and Pakistan have sparred for decades with missiles, artillery, and advanced fighter jets, the four-day flare-up in May marked the first large-scale deployment of drones by both sides. According to a Reuters investigation involving over a dozen interviews with defense officials, security analysts, and industry insiders from both countries, the skirmish has triggered a new arms race centered on drone warfare.

Tensions remain high, and both nations are racing to bolster their UAV capabilities. Reuters reports that India, which approved a $4.6 billion emergency defense procurement package this month, is planning to triple its drone investments to around $470 million over the next year or two. This information was confirmed by Smit Shah, head of the Drone Federation of India, and corroborated by two industry executives.

Traditionally slowed by bureaucratic red tape, India’s military procurement process has undergone a shift: drone manufacturers are now being summoned for rapid-fire demonstrations and trials. Much of the planned expenditure will focus on acquiring both surveillance and combat drones, according to two Indian officials familiar with the defense strategy.

Pakistan, meanwhile, is also ramping up its drone arsenal. Citing one Pakistani source, Reuters revealed that the country’s air force is keen to avoid deploying expensive fighter jets and is turning instead to UAVs. While India fields approximately 36 advanced Rafale fighters, Islamabad operates only about 20 Chinese-made J-10 aircraft, making drones a cost-effective alternative.

As part of this strategy, Pakistan is leaning heavily on partnerships with Turkey and China to enhance its domestic drone capabilities. According to defense expert Oishee Majumdar of Janes, Islamabad’s National Aerospace Science and Technology Park is working with Turkish defense firm Baykar to assemble YIHA-III drones locally—sometimes completing a unit in just two to three days.

During the May conflict, Pakistani forces reportedly launched up to 400 drones across a 772-mile frontier at 36 different locations in an effort to probe Indian defenses. These UAVs included Turkish-made Songar drones, domestically developed Shahpar-II models, and the YIHA-III.

However, many of these were intercepted by India’s air-defense systems, which incorporated modern sensors and radar but relied on vintage anti-aircraft guns from the Cold War era—retrofitted by state-owned Bharat Electronics. Indian officials told Reuters these outdated weapons performed surprisingly well against modern UAVs.

While Pakistan denies that a large number of its drones were neutralized, India claims it suffered minimal damage. In response, New Delhi also launched offensive drone operations, deploying Israeli HAROPs, Polish WARMATEs, and indigenous UAVs to strike targets across the border. Two Indian officials said these missions targeted both military and militant infrastructure.

Reuters learned from four Indian drone makers and defense insiders that India remains vulnerable due to its dependence on critical components from China—such as lithium for drone batteries and specialized magnets. China, a close ally of Pakistan, has previously restricted such exports to countries like Ukraine, weakening their drone production capabilities, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.