The Indian Air Force (IAF) begins its first Dronathon-2026 exercise at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Rajasthan. The event features demonstrations of indigenous unmanned aerial systems and counter-unmanned aerial systems, using conditions meant to be operationally challenging and contested. The IAF showcases how drones and counter-UAS technologies are tested in a live setting rather than only in laboratory demonstrations.
Multiple reports describe the exercise as a structured platform for engagement between the IAF and industry. Around 60 Indian companies participate, presenting drone-related capabilities for different military applications. The initiative is intended to create a direct interface between defense companies and the IAF and to support the Air Force’s stated UAS roadmap for future unmanned capabilities. Sources also emphasize that the focus is on operational effect—how systems perform under demanding scenarios—and on accelerating coordinated development of indigenous drone technologies.
Both outlets portray Dronathon-2026 as part of a broader push to integrate unmanned systems into modern military operations, including counter-UAS solutions.
