The largest drone exercise will begin next month, Air Marshal Rakesh Sinha explained its importance.

News Topical, Digital Desk : A major integrated exercise of the armed forces is scheduled to take place in Madhya Pradesh from October 6th to 10th. The exercise, titled Cold Start, conducted by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), will extensively test drones and counter-drone systems. Considered the largest exercise since Operation Sindoor, it aims to assess the effectiveness of the country's current air defence capabilities and address shortcomings.

Speaking at a conference on air defense systems, Air Marshal Rakesh Sinha, Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defense Staff (OPS), said that Operation Sindoor has taught us many lessons and we need to stay ahead of our adversary's military thinking and planning. He explained that the exercise will involve industry partners, research and development organizations, and academic institutions, in addition to the three services. "Our goal is to develop unmatched air defense systems and counter UAS (unmanned aerial systems)," he said.

'Drones are no longer just accessories'

He said that Operation Sindoor has both provided us with a warning and an opportunity to intensify our actions against UAS, so that we don't have to learn difficult lessons in the next encounter. He said that we have seen that drones are no longer just auxiliary tools, but play a vital role in any major conflict. We have seen firsthand how drones shape operations. They assist in intelligence gathering and kinetic operations. They have also revealed how enemy drones can threaten military security and strategic objectives.

This exercise, involving all three services, follows the Ran Samvad program held a month ago. Held at the Army War College in Maho, Madhya Pradesh, Ran Samvad also marked the first joint seminar involving all three services, discussing warfare, war materials, and combat skills.

'The enemy also learnt a lesson from Operation Sindoor'

Sudarshan Chakra will have all types of air defence systems. Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said that India's proposed air defence system Sudarshan Chakra will be "the most unique among all air defence systems". It will include anti-drone, anti-UAV and anti-hypersonic systems. He said that the project is at the conceptual stage and hence cannot be revealed much, but it will include everything.

He said the enemy has also learned a lesson from Operation Sindoor, so we must remain two steps ahead in military thinking and planning. Air Marshal Dixit also stressed the importance of affordable defense systems. Referring to the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war, he explained how relatively inexpensive drones have played a key role in inflicting heavy damage to the other side's expensive military assets.

He said that we have created an 'innovation adaptation cycle'. The job of Indian industry, think tanks, and academia should be to think two steps ahead to stay ahead of the competition, as it is like a game of chess. He told the defense industry that there is a need to work on the 'Think in India' concept along the lines of 'Make in India'. He said that during Operation Sindoor, we intercepted some enemy drones that were quite advanced, using AI and visual imaging, and even if their GPS was jammed, they had the ability to reach around their targets.

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