Indian Army to Establish Baaz Battalions for Enhanced Drone and RPA Operations

New Delhi, June 29, 2026 — Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has announced that the Indian Army will establish specialized units known as Baaz Battalions to oversee the integration, advancement, and maintenance of drones and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs).

This initiative is aimed at developing a dedicated team of expertly trained personnel to operate and sustain the RPA system, thereby enhancing the Army's Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

According to a report from Asian News International (ANI), General Dwivedi stated the following:

“The Army will require continuous induction, upgrades and replenishment of drones on a large scale. To maintain pace with this requirement, one of the most important initiatives is raising Baaz Battalions. This will be built upon the existing Remotely Piloted Aircraft Flights. These battalions will comprise a specialist pool of personnel trained to operate and manage the ecosystem of Remotely Piloted Aircraft. This will enhance Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities through integrated aerial surveillance, persistent battlefield awareness and rapid response.”

An official photograph accompanying the statement features General Dwivedi in his formal military attire.

The Baaz Battalions, whose name reflects their symbolic representation of aerial mastery, signify a structural advancement from the existing Remotely Piloted Aircraft Flights within the Army. These new battalions will centralize expertise into specific formations with specialized manpower, moving away from dispersed or temporary drone units.

The formation is designed to manage the complete RPA operational lifecycle, from deployment to maintenance and data usage, ensuring a consistent operational tempo in coordination with ground forces.

This initiative is part of the broader "Decade of Transformation" led by General Dwivedi, which has witnessed the Indian Army's rapid expansion of its drone inventory from a few hundred to over 50,000 systems, alongside the establishment of various Drone and Counter-Drone Hubs nationwide.

Other concurrent initiatives include:

Ashni drone platoons	at the infantry battalion level for organic surveillance and target acquisition.
Bhairav Battalions and Rudra All-Arms Brigades	focused on high-tempo, multi-domain operations.
Divyastra Batteries and Shaktibaan Regiments	for precision artillery and extended-reach targeting.
The “Eagle on the Arm” doctrine	which emphasizes training every soldier in basic drone operations.

These reforms incorporate insights from recent conflicts where drones played a pivotal role in ISR, precision strikes, and airspace dominance.

General Dwivedi emphasizes that the Army's drone strategy extends beyond procurement, focusing instead on absorption — seamlessly integrating unmanned systems into training, strategic doctrines, and combat operations in a manner that is tiered, role-based, and terrain-specific.

At the division level, Unified Control Centres are being set up to manage the increasing array of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Counter-UAS assets on the contemporary battlefield.

The establishment of Baaz Battalions addresses the need for persistent battlefield awareness and quick response capabilities, crucial for India's northern and western borders and in counter-insurgency settings.

As General Dwivedi's term as Chief of the Army Staff nears its end, the initiation of this strategy reflects his leadership, which has been marked by the swift induction of drones, counter-drone systems, and the formation of new technology-enabled units designed for future warfare.

By formally integrating drone operations into specialist battalions, the Army is transitioning from experimental uses of unmanned systems to a core, professionally managed capability.

Defense analysts see this development as a logical progression that will boost the Army's capacity for real-time situational awareness, precision targeting, and swift responses in dynamic operational environments.

The Indian Army has yet to disclose specific details regarding the number of Baaz Battalions, their locations, or the timeline for their establishment. Further information is anticipated in the coming weeks as part of the Army's ongoing modernization efforts.

This initiative is expected to be a focal point in discussions about the evolving nature of warfare and the Indian Army's adoption of emerging technologies.