India to Launch ‘Cold Start’ Amid Rising UAV Threat from Pakistan

India / Top Story Home Our Bureau - : Sep 24, 2025 - : 10:17 pm

India’s armed forces are set to conduct their largest-ever drone and counter-drone exercise next month, marking a significant step in bolstering the country’s air defence capabilities, senior military officials said on Tuesday. The exercise, dubbed ‘Cold Start,’ comes months after a brief but intense conflict with Pakistan saw the unprecedented large-scale deployment of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) by both sides.

Air Marshal Rakesh Sinha, deputy chief of the Integrated Defence Staff, told reporters in New Delhi that the four-day exercise, scheduled for the first week of October, will test India’s drones alongside counter-drone technologies. “We will be testing some of our drones and counter-drone systems during this exercise … so that we can make our air defence system and counter-UAS completely robust,” he said.

The upcoming drills underscore the intensifying drone arms race between India and Pakistan, analysts note, as both countries rapidly expand their unmanned capabilities. Since the May clashes, India has accelerated efforts to enhance its aerial surveillance, strike, and defensive systems, reflecting lessons learned from the conflict.

An unnamed defence official described ‘Cold Start’ as the biggest domestic exercise of its kind since the skirmishes, adding that the drills will recreate some of the drone warfare scenarios witnessed during the May conflict. “This is not just about testing equipment; it’s about rehearsing operational concepts and improving coordination between various defence assets,” the official said.

The exercise will also form the baseline for India’s indigenous air defence system, Sudarshan Chakra, which aims to be fully operational by 2035. Officials have drawn parallels with Israel’s Iron Dome, highlighting Sudarshan Chakra’s multi-layered defence approach that will combine drones, counter-drone systems, aircraft, and even counter-hypersonic capabilities.

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, chief of the Integrated Defence Staff, emphasised the strategic need to stay ahead of adversaries: “They [drones] are also working and becoming better. So, we have to go one step ahead.” The development of Sudarshan Chakra, he noted, represents a holistic upgrade to India’s air defence architecture, integrating emerging technologies to safeguard critical assets against both conventional and asymmetric aerial threats.

The focus on counter-UAS measures comes amid growing global concern over the use of drones in conflicts. In recent years, unmanned systems have evolved from tactical surveillance tools to precision strike platforms, capable of hitting high-value targets while remaining difficult to detect or intercept. Experts say that mastering counter-drone capabilities is now an essential component of modern air defence.

Cold Start will also provide defence industry representatives and researchers a unique opportunity to observe operational testing and performance under realistic conditions. By combining live demonstrations with data-driven evaluations, the Indian military aims to refine both hardware and operational procedures in preparation for future conflicts.

As drone warfare continues to reshape the regional security landscape, exercises like Cold Start and programmes such as Sudarshan Chakra signal India’s determination to maintain air superiority, enhance national resilience, and develop a technologically advanced defence ecosystem capable of responding to evolving threats.

india / cold-start / sudarshan-chakra / unmanned-aerial-systems-uas / counter-drone-technology /

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