Following the aftermath of India’s Operation Sindoor, a comprehensive defense analysis has revealed a significant gap in drone warfare capabilities between India and Pakistan. The report highlights that nearly all of Pakistan’s drone deployments during recent military skirmishes with India failed to achieve their objectives. In contrast, Indian drones demonstrated high levels of accuracy, successfully striking several Pakistani military installations.
The failures of Pakistani drones, primarily sourced from Turkey and China, have been described as a major setback for Islamabad. Many of these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) either crashed or were intercepted by India’s robust air defense systems, leaving debris scattered across Indian territory.
During the cross-border tensions that followed the deadly attacks on Indian tourists by Pakistan-based militants, both countries engaged in drone and missile exchanges. According to foreign correspondents present during the escalation, Pakistani drones—often appearing as brief flashes in the sky—were routinely shot down by Indian interceptors before they could inflict damage.
James Patton Rogers, a drone warfare specialist at Cornell University, emphasized India’s technological edge, noting that its UAV capabilities extend across land, air, and maritime platforms. In contrast, Pakistan’s limited drone inventory—heavily reliant on Turkish and Chinese imports—proved ineffective.
Notably, Turkey’s Bayraktar YIHA III kamikaze drones were neutralized by Indian quick-reaction air-defense units almost immediately after breaching Indian airspace. Alarmingly for Pakistan, some of these drones crashed on home soil before even reaching their intended targets. Paul Antonopoulos, a fellow at the Centre for Syncretic Studies in Belgrade, remarked that Turkish drones, while effective against insurgent groups, lack the sophistication to challenge a nation with even moderate air defense capabilities.
Despite a large-scale deployment of drones by Pakistan, they largely missed critical military targets and instead caused minor damage in civilian zones. According to the Indian Ministry of Defence, all threats were promptly countered, resulting in no casualties or significant losses.
Conversely, Indian drones—many modeled on Israeli reconnaissance UAVs—successfully hit strategic Pakistani locations, leading to heightened concern and unrest within Pakistan. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army reported that between 300 and 400 Pakistani drones were intercepted across 36 locations, with initial forensic assessments identifying many of them as Turkish-made Asisguard Songar drones.
The vulnerability of Turkish drones is not a new revelation. Past incidents in conflict zones such as Syria (2019) and Libya (2021) have shown similar weaknesses, where Bayraktar TB-2 drones were easily destroyed by ground-based defense systems like the Pantsir S-1, as documented in a UN report.
Pakistan’s drone program also includes UAVs developed by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group. However, these units reportedly suffered from critical technical issues, including malfunctioning GPS systems, defective synthetic aperture radar, nitrogen leaks in camera systems, and faulty SATCOM antennas—making them unreliable in operational scenarios.
India has also accused Pakistan of using drones for smuggling contraband, including weapons, drugs, and IEDs. In 2024, Indian security forces reportedly neutralized around 90 such drones using mobile and handheld anti-drone technologies. Most of these UAVs were traced back to Chinese manufacturers, particularly the DJI line, according to former BSF Director General Nitin Agrawal.
Despite some progress in indigenous drone development, Pakistan’s program remains hampered by its reliance on imports. Zohaib Altaf, a research officer at the Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS) in Washington, noted that this dependency could become a significant weakness in a prolonged conflict with India. He added that India’s deployment of advanced systems like the S-400 further diminishes the effectiveness of Pakistan’s UAV capabilities.
(With Inputs From Directus)
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