The longstanding hostility between two of Asia’s nuclear-armed neighbors has taken a dangerous new turn. In a move that signals a major doctrinal and technological shift, India has reportedly launched loitering munitions—commonly known as suicide drones—alongside coordinated artillery and missile strikes deep into Pakistani territory. These attacks, according to Indian sources, were aimed at dismantling what New Delhi terms “terror infrastructure” following a series of deadly cross-border incidents.
This new frontier in South Asian warfare—marked by the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of autonomous or remotely guided precision strikes—has drawn sharp reactions from Islamabad, raising fears of a rapid spiral into open conflict.
Pakistani officials claim Indian suicide drones struck military-linked targets in key urban centers, including Karachi and Lahore. Though India has declined to confirm details of the operation, defence analysts believe the use of Israeli-designed IAI Harop drones suggests a shift toward suppression and psychological warfare, reminiscent of the drone-heavy tactics seen in the Ukraine conflict.
The ongoing tit-for-tat hostilities between India and Pakistan are not new. However, the manner and scale of India’s latest strike package represent a doctrinal evolution. Loitering munitions like the Harop—hybrid platforms that blur the line between drones and cruise missiles—offer militaries the ability to surveil, select, and destroy targets with minimal exposure to their own forces.
India’s alleged decision to deploy these drones marks the first time a nuclear power in South Asia has publicly embraced such technology in cross-border operations. Pakistani defence officials report recovering debris of at least 25 Israeli-made Harop drones, claiming they were launched from positions near the Line of Control (LoC) and deeper Indian territory.
While the Indian government remains tight-lipped, local defence correspondents cited unnamed sources confirming the activation of India’s integrated air defence network in anticipation of retaliatory Pakistani drone and missile activity. That network, covering key military zones such as Pathankot and Srinagar, reportedly intercepted multiple Pakistani UAVs and loitering munitions.
The Harop loitering munition, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), was originally designed for Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) and Destruction of Enemy Air Defence (DEAD) operations. With its autonomous targeting, real-time EO/IR sensors, and ability to hover for up to six hours before attacking, the Harop offers strategic advantages that traditional manned air strikes cannot match.
Unlike standard surveillance drones, the Harop is launched from a canister and carries an explosive payload. It loiters in contested airspace, autonomously scanning for radar or electromagnetic emitters before diving at full speed onto a selected target. It is a cost-effective way to neutralize enemy radar and air defence installations without risking fighter jets or pilots.
India reportedly acquired a fleet of over 50 Harop systems in previous years and has since upgraded its doctrine to include them in both preemptive and retaliatory strike packages. The system was first deployed in battlefield conditions during the Nagorno-Karabakh war, where Azerbaijan used it with devastating precision against Armenian forces.
Several tactical considerations likely informed India’s use of the Harop in this latest escalation:
- Precision Without Escalation
In the dense urban sprawl of Karachi or Lahore, traditional airstrikes risk extensive civilian casualties and collateral damage. The Harop’s precision strike capabilities—guided by a “man-in-the-loop” system—allow for highly selective targeting of radar arrays, command posts, or missile batteries while minimizing unintended casualties.
- Psychological Impact
The mere presence of loitering drones overhead has a profound psychological effect on ground forces. The uncertainty of when and where a drone may strike keeps personnel on edge for hours, reducing operational efficiency and forcing frequent relocations of sensitive assets.
- Suppression of Enemy Air Defences
Pakistan maintains a network of radar and surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems to secure its airspace, especially around strategic zones. The Harop was designed to suppress or destroy such defences, clearing the path for subsequent waves of missiles or fighter aircraft to operate with reduced risk.
- Asymmetrical Cost Advantage
Compared to deploying multirole fighters or long-range missiles, the Harop provides a low-risk, mid-cost solution that can achieve similar objectives. It’s also scalable—allowing India to launch a few or dozens depending on mission scope.
Unsurprisingly, Pakistan has responded with fierce condemnation. Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, spokesperson for the Pakistan Armed Forces, described India’s actions as “naked aggression” and vowed retaliation.
“Indian drones continue to intrude into Pakistan’s airspace… India will continue to pay dearly for this escalation,” Chaudhry declared during a press conference in Rawalpindi. Pakistan claims it has already downed dozens of Indian UAVs and is actively upgrading its electronic warfare and counter-UAV capabilities.
Analysts believe Pakistan, which also possesses loitering munitions—some reportedly developed with Chinese support—may now feel compelled to launch its own high-profile drone strikes against Indian military assets. Pakistani drones were allegedly intercepted en route to Indian Air Force facilities just hours after the initial Indian strikes.
The use of suicide drones in South Asia follows global patterns seen in the Middle East, Ukraine, and the Caucasus. In the Ukrainian theatre, both sides have deployed loitering munitions to hit fuel depots, command centers, and moving convoys—demonstrating how drones have become central to modern military doctrine.
India’s move mirrors this global shift. Beyond mere battlefield utility, loitering munitions provide a political signal: precision, persistence, and psychological dominance without crossing the nuclear threshold. Yet, in a region where nuclear warheads loom large over even minor skirmishes, such escalation is inherently risky.
“Loitering munitions offer plausible deniability and minimal escalation risk—until they don’t,” says Dr. Rakesh Menon, a military strategist based in Delhi. “If a drone strikes a target with unintended consequences, it could trigger a chain reaction no one can control.”
This latest confrontation may mark the beginning of a new arms race in the subcontinent—one defined not by tanks and jets, but by unmanned, AI-driven weaponry. Already, both nations are investing heavily in indigenous drone technologies. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on its own suicide drone variants, while Pakistan has publicly showcased similar systems through its National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM).
There are also increasing reports of both countries enhancing their drone countermeasures—electronic warfare suites, directed energy weapons, and more robust radar networks. These efforts suggest that drone-on-drone warfare, and the cat-and-mouse game of air defence suppression, will become staples of South Asian military planning.
International reaction has been one of concern. The United Nations called for restraint, urging both countries to de-escalate and return to diplomatic channels. China, a key defence partner to Pakistan and economic ally to India, expressed “deep concern” over the cross-border strikes. Washington and Moscow issued similar statements, warning of the potential for rapid escalation between two nuclear states.
Privately, many Western military officials have taken keen interest in India’s successful integration of loitering munitions into its offensive doctrine. “India’s operation is being watched closely. The lessons drawn here will likely influence NATO and allied drone strategies,” commented a former U.S. drone commander.
What happens next is uncertain. Both sides have the capability to escalate further—either via drone swarms, long-range missiles, or cyber operations. But with global attention now fixated on the subcontinent, diplomatic pressure is likely to mount.
Still, one thing is clear: a new chapter in South Asian military strategy has opened. With suicide drones now part of the arsenal, the threshold for conflict has lowered while the pace of retaliation has accelerated.
The battlefield is no longer just along the LoC or high-altitude border zones. It now includes the skies over major cities, command bunkers, and strategic radar stations—targets once thought too sensitive or risky to strike directly. In this new era of warfare, drones don’t just observe. They kill—and reshape the geopolitical calculus while doing so.
