Opinion Best of Both Sides: Despite drone warfare taking off, ground force is still the first line of defence

In India’s own context, Operation Sindoor has highlighted how PGMs can deliver decisive outcomes from a distance. It demonstrated the efficacy of surgical strikes without mass troop deployment, reducing casualties and diplomatic blowback. The takeaway is clear: Warfare is increasingly sensor-fused, data-driven, and remotely executed. Yet, this techno-centric warfare cannot substitute for the physical presence and psychological dominance that infantry and armour bring to the theatre of war.

Warfare is not only about destruction, it is about control. Holding ground, securing population centres, and enabling governance require troops on the ground. No drone or missile can walk through a village, establish a rapport with civilians, or separate insurgents from innocents. These are quintessential infantry tasks.

Similarly, Armoured Corps units dominate open terrain, exploit breakthroughs, and serve as both sword and shield in high-intensity combat. Their ability to integrate makes them a force multiplier in combined arms warfare.

In all classic operations of war — advance, attack, defence, withdrawal, and holding ground — the infantry and the Armoured Corps remain the backbone of land warfare.

One of the most concerning realities is the relative lag in the modernisation of the Indian Army compared to the Air Force and Navy. While aircraft, ships, and submarines have embraced cutting-edge upgrades, the Army continues to operate legacy platforms in many cases. The infantry, for example, still lacks state-of-the-art personal protection, communication gear, and assault rifles across its ranks. The Armoured Corps, while equipped with the formidable T-90 and Arjun MBTs, faces obsolescence in terms of sensor suites, active protection systems, and integrated battle management systems. This inertia cannot persist. If future battlefields demand smarter weapons, then the platforms wielded by these units must also be “smart”. This includes integrating night vision, UAV support, battlefield management systems, and secure communications as standard practice.

India’s unique geostrategic environment demands a boots-on-the-ground approach. The ongoing deployments in eastern Ladakh, the Siachen Glacier, and Arunachal Pradesh cannot be sustained through remote warfare alone. The terrain, climate, and altitude demand physical presence and human resilience. The Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield on Earth, is a case in point. Drones cannot survive the severe weather. PGMs cannot hold a post. Only well-acclimatised, trained troops can perform these roles. The infantry, supported by light mechanised elements and logistical services, ensures India’s sovereignty in such unforgiving terrain.

Moreover, as China builds infrastructure and troop concentrations near the LAC, the threat of a conventional high-altitude conflict looms large. A technologically enabled but physically present force becomes the first line of deterrence and defence.

Beyond traditional threats, India faces hybrid and asymmetric challenges — most notably narco-terrorism, especially along its western border. Pakistan’s alleged support to narcotics-based destabilisation seeks to finance insurgency and undermine internal stability. While drones and surveillance can detect movement, interdiction requires physical patrols, border domination, and search-and-destroy missions.

Civil administration, likewise, cannot function in a vacuum. It requires a secure environment that only ground forces can ensure. From counter-insurgency in Kashmir to anti-Naxal operations in the Red Corridor, infantry has been the bulwark of India’s internal-security architecture. This role cannot be supplanted by technology.

The key takeaway is that technology and traditional combat arms must not be seen as mutually exclusive. The future lies in convergence, not replacement. The narrative that the infantry and Armoured Corps are relics of a bygone era is flawed and dangerous. While it is true that warfare is undergoing a transformation driven by technology, the essence of conflict — human will, physical control, and strategic presence — remains the same. No drone can hold a ridge. No missile can win hearts and minds.

As India prepares for potential conflicts in an uncertain neighbourhood, it must modernise its ground forces while respecting their enduring value. Their role is not diminishing; it is evolving. The future lies in making them smarter, not obsolete.

The writer is a lieutenant colonel (veteran), former Armoured Corps officer, defence analyst and strategic thinker