Meanwhile, a precautionary blackout has been enforfced in the multiple areas amid the esclating tensions between India and Pakistan.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi revealed that 300 to 400 drones were deployed across 36 locations, with several being shot down by Indian forces using both kinetic and non-kinetic methods.
Two terrorists were killed and five security personnel were injured in a fierce gun battle in a remote forested area of Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir. The encounter, which involved a group of approximately five terrorists, triggered intense firing and explosions. The gunfight, centered near Jakhole village, resulted in injuries to Special Police Officer Bharat Chalotra, who sustained facial wounds. Three security personnel, including a Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), were reportedly trapped near the gunfight's location. The terrorists were moving through the forest area when a police party headed by an SDPO moved in after getting specific information. Reinforcements from the police, army, and CRPF were immediately deployed to the area.
Till now, India has been importing Israeli-made 'Heron' medium and high altitude series of UAVs for the three services, which are using them extensively for surveillance operations in Jammu and Kashmir and certain other strategic areas.
The Navy's Maritime Aerial reconnaissance capacity had been depleted recently after its Russian acquired IL-38 aircraft crashed and the longer range TU142 was dispatched to Russia for upgradation.
The national capital is on high alert for Republic Day, with over 70 companies of paramilitary forces and more than 70,000 police personnel deployed across the city. A six-layered security protocol involving 15,000 security personnel has been deployed in New Delhi district alone. Security measures include over 2,500 CCTV cameras with facial recognition, anti-drone systems, and snipers on rooftops. Traffic restrictions have been imposed in central Delhi, with no traffic movement allowed on Kartavya Path from Vijay Chowk to India Gate from 6 pm on Saturday. Flying of sub-conventional aerial platforms is prohibited over Delhi until February 1.
Alert troops opened fire on noticing the unmanned aerial vehicle. The debris fell inside Indian territory.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited Dr Hedgewar Smruti Mandir in Nagpur and paid tributes at memorials dedicated to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, and second sarsanghchalak (chief) M S Golwalkar.
It remained airborne for over 15 minutes in Mendhar area of Poonch sector, official sources said.
The UAVs, equipped with a high-power small camera to record the activities on the ground, are mainly used by armies around the world for surveillance and reconnaissance purposes.
The INAS 343 squadron, which has two Israeli-made Heron and two Searcher MKII UAVs, was commissioned by the Gujarat Governor Dr Kamla Beniwal on Monday.
Official sources in the Home Ministry said there will be a trial run of UAVs from next week in which Army may also be roped in because of their expertise in such kind of operations.
A special squad of the anti-Naxal force recently undertook an operation in the jungles of Narayanpur district during which a UAV was not only able to pick up "real-time imagery" of movement of Naxal cadres but also relayed the conversation among them.
The avalanche hit the BRO camp between Mana and Badrinath between 5:30 am and 6 am on Friday, burying the workers inside eight containers and a shed, according to the Army.
For better surveillance of KazirangaNational Park, the National Tiger Conservation Authority of the Union Environment and forests ministry will undertake test flights of unmanned aerial vehicles over the KNP from on Monday.
'At Aero India 2025, be prepared to be inspired, awed, and educated,' says Air Commodore Rohith Vijayadev, Air Officer Commanding Yelahanka. 'Aero India 2025 promises to be more than just an air show; it is a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and India's growing leadership in global defence and aviation,' notes Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
The Army Day Parade this year will see participation of an all-girl marching contingent from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and showcasing of four thematic tableaux, including one based on the force's Mission Olympics Wing.
The Indian Army has increased its operational footprint in the Jammu region, including the strategic occupation of the upper reaches of the Pir Panjal range, a senior officer said. The army is playing a pivotal role in military-civilian coordination in creating a stable environment in the region, the officer said, adding that the force will continue its efforts to promote peace, security, and development in the area.
The Indian Air Force on Thursday said it has deployed Garud Special Forces commandos and four choppers for anti-Naxal operations but withdrawn the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles operating in Maoist bastions in Chhattisgarh.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles will be used for the first time to detect Naxal hideouts in dense forests and hilly terrains and monitor the movement of ultras to help ground forces carry out precision attacks.
Pakistani troops have been using every opportunity to spy on the Indian side using UAVs or cameras along the border, a BSF officer said on Saturday.
In contrast to the US which is "doing a lot of work" in developing and manufacturing Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), India is more focused on developing UAVs as it considers intelligence gathering more challenging in future wars, Defence Research and Development Organisation said on Friday.
Pakistan Army has got fresh information of the situation inside the besieged mosque through an unmanned aerial vehicle.
The state-of-the-art UAV will have the capability to take photographs of anything under the thick foliage as well as record the sound signals and transmit the same to the control room almost live through satellite.
'One of our proudest moments was when our system was displayed on the DRDO tableau on Republic Day this year,' says Ankit Mehta, CEO of Ideaforge, a company that is the topmost maker of unmanned aerial vehicles in India.
All borders of the national capital will be sealed for the entry of commercial and heavy vehicles by Thursday midnight apart from heavy police deployment, they said.
The J-K top cops also said less than 200 militants are currently active in Jammu and Kashmir.
'The terrorists are using better technology to secure their communication.' 'It does appear that excessive reliance on technology led to a weakening of human intelligence.'
Inputs available from different agencies suggest that Dawood, a prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, has bases in Pakistan and keeps changing his location from time to time, Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary told the House.
DRDO's failures over the decades have contributed significantly to India becoming the world's biggest weapons importer, points out Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
An array of modern Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, fast-attack craft and all-terrain vehicles will soon bolster the dominion power of the Border Security Force deployed to guard the marshy and arid Rann of Kutch region along the Indo-Pak border.
In a statement released on Friday, the United Nations Atomic Watchdog said it is monitoring the situation very closely.
The comptroller and auditor general has unearthed a Rs 450-crore scam involving the purchase of Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles by the Hyderabad-based National Technical Research Organisation, a technical arm of the external intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing. In the first ever audit of any intelligence agency in India, it was found that these UAVs were lying as junk.
Indian Air Force fighter planes will be on standby to keep a close watch on any suspicious activity in the Delhi sky, including UAVs or drones, as the national capital gets ready to host the G20 summit, a senior official from a department engaged in airport operations said.
It looks like a hawk in flight, but clearly it is deadlier than that species.
Police personnel checked vehicles and conducted flag marches at various places in Punjab on Wednesday while central forces maintained a tight vigil in Tripura.
The manhunt for the terrorists responsible for the ambush in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, which resulted in the tragic death of five army personnel, has led to the detention of a truck driver and 50 others for questioning, officials said on Wednesday.
The drones were destroyed using electronic warfare measures and caused no casualties or damage, the press service added.
