Jaisalmer: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Tuesday the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel-Iran conflict have changed the nature of modern warfare, making it necessary for armed forces to prepare for both current threats and future battlefield challenges.Addressing a meeting of the consultative committee of the ministry of defence on ‘Modernisation of Indian Defence Forces’ in Jaisalmer, Singh said the armed forces were undergoing structural and technological changes to stay ready for multi-domain conflicts.
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He cited the Army’s new formations — Ashni, Bhairav and Shaktibaan — as examples of this shift. Every infantry battalion will have its own drone unit, called an Ashni platoon, to help troops gather intelligence on enemy movement without depending on other military resources. Singh said such units would improve surveillance, provide real-time information and help commanders take faster decisions.Bhairav battalions, he said, are being raised with modern weapons, advanced communication systems and drone technology to carry out small and limited operations without depending on Special Forces. This would allow Special Forces to focus on more complex and sensitive missions. The Army plans to raise 25 Bhairav battalions.
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Shaktibaan regiments will focus on faster detection of enemy positions and precision strikes using different categories of drones, swarm drones and loitering munitions.Singh said modernisation was not just about buying weapons but also building indigenous technological capabilities. He said the defence budget for 2026-27 had been increased to Rs 7.85 lakh crore, including Rs 2.19 lakh crore for modernisation and capital procurement.He said domestic defence production had risen from Rs 46,429 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 1.78 lakh crore in 2025-26, while defence exports had grown from less than Rs 2,000 crore in 2014 to around Rs 40,000 crore. “We aim to achieve defence production worth Rs 3 lakh crore and defence exports worth Rs 50,000 crore by 2029,” he said.The meeting discussed tri-services coordination, next-generation weapons, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, unmanned platforms, cyber and space capabilities, electronic warfare and advanced communication systems.Singh called for closer collaboration among the armed forces, DRDO, defence PSUs, private industry, startups and academic institutions to strengthen indigenous research, innovation and manufacturing.
