This is how Pakistan deployed Kamikaze drones and how Indian Army was waiting

ANI

New Delhi, May 19, 2025 (ANI): In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Lieutenant General D’Cunha, who is the Director General of Army Air Defence, talked about how India’s air defence system foiled a bid by Pakistan to target the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Lieutenant General D’Cunha also revealed how Indian Army anticipated drone attack by Pakistan and carried out exercise in April.

Transcript

00:00Actually, we anticipated this and you won't believe that about maybe on the 26th, 27th and 28th,

00:07we did a simulation exercise at the behest of our army chief in the border areas

00:11where we simulated drone attacks on the weapon system.

00:15But we actually wanted our gunners and our operators to actually hone their skill

00:20and see how do you detect.

00:22So we started off at 5.30 in the morning, maybe 26th or the first day.

00:26So we started at 5.30 in the morning where we had multiple drones coming in to train our people.

00:56One, I need to know about the air defence mechanisms which were used in and around that area.

01:10One, that.

01:11And the second is our attack out there.

01:13In just 23 minutes, how we managed to get our targets on the first day.

01:19So, you are talking with respect specific to?

01:22When we targeted the terror bases, it was finished, the attack was finished in 23 days.

01:29Then when they responded, our air defence mechanisms, how we stopped both.

01:34So, you know, it's like this that the Nagorno-Karabakh-Azerbaijan clash, Russian-Ukraine clash,

01:43and even to some extent the Israeli current conflict going on,

01:47taught us about the huge capability that drones have.

01:52And, you know, we realised that Pakistan, by virtue of its back-end support from Turkey

01:59and maybe our northern adversary as well, had a plethora of drones.

02:03And we also knew that, you know, in order to take on an effective air defence integrated system that we have,

02:13like the army and the air force are integrated in this case, he would have to saturate us.

02:18So, if you see his concept of employment, he would first send in low altitude, cheaper drones,

02:27in large numbers to saturate your radars.

02:29And they would also force you to open up your radars.

02:34So, I think it's very important that the army looked at, you know, not emitting,

02:39so that we didn't give out our positions.

02:42Because the moment you gave out your emitter position,

02:44his next line of drones would come to hit the radar.

02:48What do you do then?

02:50You switch it on at the appropriate time.

02:52So, you switch it on when you realise that the target is within your gun range.

02:57You switch on the radar intermittently, slew your guns and engage the target.

03:01But if you continuously emit, that's what the drone is wanting you to do.

03:05Saturate your screen and then bring in someone from the rear, an armed drone,

03:10and then hit your radar as a kamikaze drone.

03:12So, I think that the training that we did, actually we anticipated this,

03:18and you won't believe that about, maybe on the 26th, 27th and 28th,

03:23we did a simulation exercise at the behest of our army chief in the border areas,

03:28where we simulated drone attacks on the weapon system.

03:32So, sir, April 26th, 27th, you carried out an exercise of a drone attack from Pakistan.

03:39Yeah, it was not from the border, but it was internal, you know, on the border.

03:43But we actually wanted our gunners and our operators to actually hone their skill

03:48and see how do you detect.

03:51So, we started off at 5.30 in the morning, maybe 26th for the first day.

03:54So, we started at 5.30 in the morning,

03:56where we had multiple drones coming in to train our people.

03:59So, you know, because if you have a saturation rate,

04:01and how do you react, and how do you not switch on your radar till as late as possible?

04:06And how does this information go laterally to people?

04:11How does the army air defense, once it gets this information,

04:14proliferate this information to the infantry man who's there,

04:17or to the arty man who's there, so that everybody realizes there is a drone,

04:21and if he has a capability and the signals,

04:24and if he has a capability to engage that drone, how can he engage it?

04:27So, continuing with what Ajit asked,

04:30we were, India was getting ready with its war machinery by end of April.

04:34So, we knew that there's going to be some kind of a proactive measure,

04:37which India is going to take.

04:39So, you know, it's like this, that the air defense is a defensive measure.

04:44The air defense is not an offensive.

04:46The air defense is something where you protect your own airspace.

04:50So, by a trickle method,

04:53we gradually built up our air defense right along our western borders.

04:58I think so, that's how we actually, you know, got the troops familiar with terrain,

05:04because we initially deployed not on a VAVP-centric mission.

05:11What does that mean?

05:12So, what happens is that normally all air defense resources,

05:15because ours is the big border,

05:17we have about 3,500 border with Pakistan.

05:20So, you can't have air defense right through.

05:22So, you have vulnerable points,

05:25vulnerable LRs, which are pre-identified,

05:27which are allocated air defense resources.

05:29Like, if you have an ammunition dump,

05:31or you have an airfield,

05:32or you have a logistic base,

05:34or you have even some population centers,

05:36or you have a temple, like the Golden Temple.

05:38So, you pre-determine where you want to put these.

05:42Now, some of these could be at the border,

05:44some of these could be 50 kilometers,

05:46some of them could be in the rear areas of the tactical battle area.

05:50So, what we did initially is we pushed up as much guns

05:53as far forward as possible.

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