Chandigarh: The Indian Army has successfully tested and verified the capabilities of its newly raised Ashni drone platoons during the ongoing integrated all-arms Exercise Ram Prahaar under the Western Command. The specialised units, embedded within Infantry battalions, are designed to strengthen front-line surveillance, precision targeting and real-time battlefield intelligence.
In an update shared on X, the Western Command said the Ashni units act as an “invisible third eye,” enabling ground forces to conduct close-range reconnaissance, surveillance and precision strikes using mini-unmanned aerial systems.
As the use of drones expands rapidly across modern battlefields, the Army has raised nearly 380 such specialist platoons. Each Ashni unit—named after the Sanskrit word for ‘fire’—includes around 25 trained personnel equipped with a range of tactical drones. These include surveillance quadcopters, reconnaissance drones, precision payload-dropping UAVs and kamikaze drones capable of carrying out lethal missions.
Unlike larger unmanned systems used for long- and medium-range operations, Ashni drones operate at lower altitudes and shorter distances, offering quick, tactical-level capabilities directly to infantry formations.
The induction of Ashni platoons is a key pillar of the Army’s shift towards ‘drone-first’ warfare, improving situational awareness and enabling infantry units to counter emerging aerial threats more effectively. These units complement other major modernisation initiatives such as the Bhairav battalions and the Rudra brigades.
Bhairav battalions, a new category of special operations-capable units, act as a bridge between regular infantry and elite special forces. Five such battalions are already functional, and four more are being raised, with a target of establishing 25 by next year.
The Army has also raised two new Rudra Brigades—integrated combat formations that bring infantry, armour, artillery and other support arms under one permanent command for faster mobilisation and enhanced offensive capability. These formations are expected to gradually replace traditional single-arm brigades.
With Ashni platoons now field-tested, the Army aims to further refine drone-driven tactics and strengthen its operational edge in future conflicts.
