The First Drone War in South Asia: May 2025
The four-day India-Pakistan conflict saw the emergence of drone warfare as a new strategic reality in the South Asian theatre. Drawing inferences from the Russia-Ukraine war, both sides deployed drones for precision targeting, probing air defences, and performing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) tasks. The conflict marked a qualitative escalation where unmanned systems were used for coercive targeting besides their utility for tactical surveillance and reconnaissance. The loss of 7 top-of-the-line fighter aircraft in the initial phase of battle swiftly ended the Indian Air Force (IAF) bid for air dominance, forcing it to retreat to the rear bases. The loss of control of air created a decision dilemma and operational pause for the Indian leadership, compounded by the absence of a coherent strategic direction
