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Indian Army raises 'Bhairav' commando units, drone platoons

‘We are procuring a range of anti-tank guided missiles,’ he noted.

News Arena Network - New Delhi - UPDATED: October 23, 2025, 01:02 PM - 2 min read

Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar.


To enhance the Indian Army’s combat capabilities along the northern and western borders, its 380 infantry battalions have been equipped with drone platoons, while its elite commando units are being established as part of the force’s modernisation drive. Not only this, but the Indian Army is also acquiring 4.25 lakh battle carbines at a cost of Rs 2,770 crore.
 
Each of the 380 infantry battalions now has an Ashney (fire) drone platoon that comprises at least four surveillance drones and six armed drones, including Kamikaze drones and precision ammunition dropping unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
 
The announcement of the same was made by the Director General of Infantry, Lt General Ajay Kumar, who then informed that five elite Bhairav battalions with nearly 250 soldiers each have already been raised by the Indian Army, and it has plans to have 25 more such battalions within the span of the next 6 months. These battalions are for special operations, and would also act as a bridge between regular infantry and the elite para-special forces.
 
"Five battalions of Bhairav have already been raised. They have already been deployed in the area of intended operations, and on-the-job training is going on from October 1," the Director General said, adding, 'The training of the five battalions will culminate on October 30, and thereafter they will be fully operationalised.’
 
As announced by Lt Gen Kumar, the Bhairav battalions, as well as the special forces battalions, will also have Ashni drone platoons.
 
 
Speaking on procuring the new-age carbines, the military official said 60 per cent of them will be supplied by Bharat Forge Ltd, while the rest 40 per cent will be delivered by PLR Systems. The delivery will start within 1 year and will be completed within 2 years.  
 
On being asked about the proposed India-US co-production of Javelin anti-tank missiles, he said procurement of 104 missiles and 12 launchers of Javelin is already in the pipeline.
 
‘We are procuring a range of anti-tank guided missiles,’ he noted.
 
“As part of anti-tank weapons, we are migrating from the present second generation to fourth and fifth-generation technology. In order to infuse the drone-enabled precision strike capability, the Infantry is inducting loiter munitions for infantry operations,” he said.
 
He said that the Indian Army is also focusing on upgrading the assault rifles and light machine guns from 5.56mm to 7.62mm calibre for infantry. .338 sniper rifles will also replace the vintage sniper rifles. Moreover,  all-terrain vehicles, light specialist vehicles, and specialist mobility vehicles are being inducted to boost the mobility of the units.
 
Surveillance drones, upgraded battlefield surveillance radars, and hand-held thermal imaging sights are also being procured in order to enhance battlefield surveillance and enable commanders on the ground to make informed decisions, he said.
 
Realising the modern-day warfare, the force is aggressively taking measures to boost the combat capabilities of its infantry.

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