An Indian Air Force officer involved in unmanned operations during Operation Sindoor is now developing AI-powered drone interceptors and autonomous ground vehicles, as India accelerates efforts to build indigenous battlefield technologies.Wing Commander Amandeep Singh Dihot, awarded the Vayu Sena Medal for gallantry during Operation Sindoor, now heads private defence company Stellar Invictus. Speaking exclusively to WION's Defence Pulse, he explained how his experience operating fighter aircraft and unmanned systems is influencing the development of new military technologies.&nbsp;Dihot identified a fundamental difference between piloting a fighter jet and operating an unmanned weapon. While fighter pilots make decisions within seconds using their immediate surroundings, drone operators depend heavily on data links, sensors and ground-control systems.&nbsp;His company is developing Bhagat, an AI-powered kinetic drone interceptor designed to identify hostile drones, predict their flight paths and engage them.&nbsp;Dihot believes future conflicts could be decided by how quickly militaries manufacture and replenish interceptors, particularly when confronting large numbers of inexpensive attack drones.&nbsp;"The one who is able to scale up the production of interceptors is actually going to make the difference in the coming conflicts," he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Another major challenge is electronic warfare. Drawing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Dihot warned that satellite navigation and communication links could become early casualties of future wars. He highlighted fibre-optic communications, alternative navigation technologies and skilled human operators as important elements of operating in GPS-denied environments. Stellar Invictus is also developing Bhedak, an autonomous unmanned ground vehicle incorporating AI-assisted navigation and obstacle avoidance. According to Dihot, the platform is being designed to detect mines, identify safer routes for soldiers and undertake mine-laying missions. He also anticipates a future battlefield where unmanned vehicles deploy drone interceptors, directed-energy weapons and microwave-based counter-drone systems. For India, the next frontier is building indigenous, affordable and scalable autonomous systems that can adapt as quickly as the battlefield itself.

Future conflicts could be decided by how quickly militaries manufacture and replenish interceptors, particularly when confronting large numbers of inexpensive attack drones. The next frontier is building indigenous, affordable and scalable autonomous systems that can adapt quickly.

An Indian Air Force officer involved in unmanned operations during Operation Sindoor is now developing AI-powered drone interceptors and autonomous ground vehicles, as India accelerates efforts to build indigenous battlefield technologies. Wing Commander Amandeep Singh Dihot, awarded the Vayu Sena Medal for gallantry during Operation Sindoor, now heads private defence company Stellar Invictus. Speaking exclusively to WION's Defence Pulse, he explained how his experience operating fighter aircraft and unmanned systems is influencing the development of new military technologies. Dihot identified a fundamental difference between piloting a fighter jet and operating an unmanned weapon. While fighter pilots make decisions within seconds using their immediate surroundings, drone operators depend heavily on data links, sensors and ground-control systems. His company is developing Bhagat, an AI-powered kinetic drone interceptor designed to identify hostile drones, predict their flight paths and engage them. Dihot believes future conflicts could be decided by how quickly militaries manufacture and replenish interceptors, particularly when confronting large numbers of inexpensive attack drones. "The one who is able to scale up the production of interceptors is actually going to make the difference in the coming conflicts," he said.

Future conflicts could be decided by how quickly militaries manufacture and replenish interceptors, particularly when confronting large numbers of inexpensive attack drones. The next frontier is building indigenous, affordable and scalable autonomous systems that can adapt quickly.

From Operation Sindoor to the drone factory: IAF Gallantry Awardee builds India’s next battlefield weapons

Russia's new ZAK-30 Citadel is an automated 30mm anti-drone system designed to protect critical infrastructure. It uses advanced radar and thermal sensors to track small drones, destroying them with programmable airburst shells that detonate into a shrapnel cloud.


Russia's new ZAK-30 Citadel is an automated 30mm anti-drone system designed to protect critical infrastructure. It uses advanced radar and thermal sensors to track small drones, destroying them with programmable airburst shells that detonate into a shrapnel cloud.

Russia's new drone-killer: How it finds small targets

The future of warfare may not be determined by the most expensive weapon in the arsenal. Increasingly, the advantage could lie with militaries capable of deploying large numbers of cheaper, intelligent and autonomous drones. Speaking to WION, ideaForge co-founder and CEO Ankit Mehta outlined how unmanned systems are altering both the battlefield and the economics of war. The interview focuses specifically on whether drones can compete with missiles, the rise of low-cost “attritable” platforms, and the emergence of collaborative autonomy. But Mehta does not believe drones will simply replace missiles. “I don’t think drones are going to replace missiles,” he said, arguing instead that their disruptive potential comes from the dramatically different cost equation they bring to warfare. That equation is pushing militaries towards what Mehta describes as “low-cost attritable assets”. These are systems that can be produced and deployed in large numbers and, crucially, can be risked in combat without the financial consequences associated with losing an exquisite military platform. The interview identifies this as an emerging global trend.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-future-of-warfare-takes-flight-from-recon-to-precision-strikes-drones-have-come-a-long-way-1787586023845/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-future-of-warfare-takes-flight-from-recon-to-precision-strikes-drones-have-come-a-long-way-1787586023845/embed</a> For Mehta, this could fundamentally alter how militaries think about scale. Rather than relying exclusively on small numbers of expensive platforms, the future battlefield could see far greater numbers of unmanned systems performing surveillance, strike and other missions. The next leap, however, is not merely making drones cheaper. It is making them work together. Mehta points towards “collaborative autonomy” as a major direction for drone warfare, moving away from today’s model where individual operators control individual platforms towards one operator being able to supervise multiple autonomous systems. That evolution could also help shorten one of warfare’s most critical processes: the kill chain. The time between detecting a target, identifying it, making a decision and ultimately engaging it. Mehta’s broader argument is that the drone revolution is therefore becoming as much about economics, autonomy and scale as the aircraft themselves. The race is no longer simply to build a more sophisticated drone. It is to build systems that are cheaper, smarter, expendable when necessary, and capable of operating together in numbers. And that could change the economics of warfare itself. Watch the WION interview⁠.

These are systems that can be produced and deployed in large numbers and, crucially, can be risked in combat without the financial consequences associated with losing an exquisite military platform.

The future of warfare may not be determined by the most expensive weapon in the arsenal. Increasingly, the advantage could lie with militaries capable of deploying large numbers of cheaper, intelligent and autonomous drones. Speaking to WION, ideaForge co-founder and CEO Ankit Mehta outlined how unmanned systems are altering both the battlefield and the economics of war. The interview focuses specifically on whether drones can compete with missiles, the rise of low-cost “attritable” platforms, and the emergence of collaborative autonomy. But Mehta does not believe drones will simply replace missiles. “I don’t think drones are going to replace missiles,” he said, arguing instead that their disruptive potential comes from the dramatically different cost equation they bring to warfare. That equation is pushing militaries towards what Mehta describes as “low-cost attritable assets”. These are systems that can be produced and deployed in large numbers and, crucially, can be risked in combat without the financial consequences associated with losing an exquisite military platform. The interview identifies this as an emerging global trend. https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-future-of-warfare-takes-flight-from-recon-to-precision-strikes-drones-have-come-a-long-way-1787586023845/embed For Mehta, this could fundamentally alter how militaries think about scale. Rather than relying exclusively on small numbers of expensive platforms, the future battlefield could see far greater numbers of unmanned systems performing surveillance, strike and other missions. The next leap, however, is not merely making drones cheaper. It is making them work together. Mehta points towards “collaborative autonomy” as a major direction for drone warfare, moving away from today’s model where individual operators control individual platforms towards one operator being able to supervise multiple autonomous systems. That evolution could also help shorten one of warfare’s most critical processes: the kill chain. The time between detecting a target, identifying it, making a decision and ultimately engaging it. Mehta’s broader argument is that the drone revolution is therefore becoming as much about economics, autonomy and scale as the aircraft themselves. The race is no longer simply to build a more sophisticated drone. It is to build systems that are cheaper, smarter, expendable when necessary, and capable of operating together in numbers. And that could change the economics of warfare itself. Watch the WION interview⁠.

These are systems that can be produced and deployed in large numbers and, crucially, can be risked in combat without the financial consequences associated with losing an exquisite military platform.

Drone warfare’s new reality: Cheaper, smarter systems could reshape battlefield

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From Operation Sindoor to the drone factory: IAF Gallantry Awardee builds India’s next battlefield weapons

Russia's new drone-killer: How it finds small targets

Drone warfare’s new reality: Cheaper, smarter systems could reshape battlefield