The TLDR: The Indian Air Force base was hit by two low-intensity blasts triggered by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) carried by drones—likely over the border from Pakistan. There was some damage to the building, and two IAF personnel suffered mild injuries. What makes this incident notable is that it is the first attack of its kind—and indicates an alarming new trend in warfare. Here’s what we know so far.

Tell me about the attack…

The location: The heavily guarded Indian Air Force Station at Jammu airport—which is a dual-use facility. It is controlled by the air force, but also operates civilian passenger flights. It is located 15 km from the Pakistan border. 

The attack: According to unnamed security sources, each drone was carrying more than 2 kg of explosives—which were dropped from a height of at least 100 metres: “The IEDs were fitted with [an] impact charge where the detonation either happens immediately on impact or a few moments later.” The exact type of explosive is still unknown.

There were two blasts around 1:47 am on Sunday. One ripped off the roof of a building, while the other blast occurred on open ground. According to one source, no remains of the drones were found at the site:

“The sentry at the base heard two separate whirring sounds followed by two blasts at an interval of six minutes. No remains of drones were found at the site, so it is suspected that they dropped their payload and went back.”

But The Telegraph reports that the police have uncovered their remnants—which could indicate that the drones themselves were turned into explosive devices.

The damage: They did not cause much damage, and two Air Force personnel were mildly injured. An unnamed officer told Indian Express: “Unless the attackers just wanted to show that India’s key security infrastructure can be easily targeted, the drones seem to have actually missed their target, as they haven’t caused any significant damage, certainly not to our aviation infrastructure.”

The target: It isn’t clear exactly what the drones were targeting. Intelligence sources speculate they may have been aiming at the parked Mi17 helicopters and transport aircraft—or air traffic control. But the lack of clarity may be due to the drones themselves: “Because of their light make and poor precision when flying with payload, they can have a dropping range of 100 m to 150 m, which means they can miss their mark by quite a distance.”

The origin: We still don’t know whether these drones were sent over the border from Pakistan or originated within the border. India Today cites unnamed sources who claim it was a terrorist attack launched from a location close to the airbase.

The investigation: A team each from the Bomb Data Centre of the National Security Guard (NSG) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have launched a probe—and the Jammu police have registered an FIR on terrorism charges.

Is using drones a new thing?

This is the first time that drones have been used to launch a direct attack. In the past, they have been used for surveillance and to deliver shipments of arms—which has become an increasingly common trend along the border:

• The most recent was also in Jammu: On May 14, the Border Security Force recovered an AK-47 assault rifle, a pistol, a magazine round, 15 rounds for a 9 mm weapon—all dropped by a drone 250 metres from the Pakistan border.
• In January 2021, the J&K police caught two people as they were picking up a consignment of 16 grenades, two AK-74 rifles, nine AK magazines, a pistol and ammunition—all of which were smuggled via drones.
• Last year, in Jammu, the BSF shot down a drone in June. It was carrying a US-made M4 rifle, two magazines, 60 live rounds and seven grenades.
• During the same month, three drone sorties in Punjab also dropped a weapons consignment: two MP-9 guns, six pistols and Rs 400,000 in counterfeit currency. An Initial investigation revealed it was sent by a Pakistan-based Khalistan group.
• In September, 2019, the police busted a terror ring and unearthed a cache of weapons delivered by “Pakistan-controlled drones” in Punjab. This included five AK-47 assault rifles with 16 magazines, four China-made pistols with 8 magazines, nine grenades, 472 cartridges, Rs 1 million (10 lakh) in fake Indian currency and five satellite phones.

Point to note: According to government data, 167 drone sightings were recorded along the border with Pakistan in 2019, and 77 in 2020. 

Why this is worrying: As one BSF officer notes: These “quad-hexacopter drones can carry payloads in excess of 14-15 kg. That makes them quite a threat as so much explosive can cause quite extensive damage.” And they are relatively easier to deploy as it does not require terrorists to physically cross the border. Also: Such drones can easily be bought for Rs 40,000 to Rs 2 lakh.

And while this attack didn’t cause much harm, other targets could prove more lethal:

“Other military bases and other critical civilian infrastructure like oil refineries could be targeted. There is also the danger of terrorists using drones to deliver biological or chemical agents.”

Point to note: The US recently used a drone to assassinate Iran’s top military leader Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad. 

What can we do to stop this?

Where we are: The government currently has a limited amount of anti-drone technology. Two systems can engage drones in a 2-kilometre radius, while another is limited to one kilometre. But these are hardly sufficient, as one officer notes:

“At present, the only option is to shoot down the drones, but it is easier said than done as that would require sniper fire and the drone to be within range. Also, sighting drones, especially during night, is not easy.”

And most of our systems are designed for large unmanned aerial vehicles:

“Small drones, which can even be launched from a balcony in a building and have a flying range of 4-5 km, have a very low radar cross-section and cannot be picked up or tracked like larger UAVs. It is virtually impossible to defend against such drones with conventional anti-aircraft guns or missiles. They are best countered by effective jamming and laser systems.”

What we need: A recent government committee report recommended a more comprehensive anti-drone strategy:

“The guidelines had suggested a number of measures to counter rogue drones depending on the vitality of assets being protected. For places of critical national importance, the rules called for deployment of a model that consists of primary and passive detection means like radar, radio frequency (RF) detectors, electro-optical and infrared cameras. In addition to this, soft kill and hard kill measures like RF jammers, GPS spoofers, lasers, and drone catching nets were also suggested to be installed.” 

The bottomline: This drone attack is likely a warning shot—or more accurately, a wake up call.

Reading list

The Telegraph and Indian Express have the most details on the attack. The Hindu has more on the increasing use of drones to deliver arms. Times of India looks at the technological challenge, while Indian Express has more on the recent committee report. TRTWorld has more on how the US used drones to kill Soleimani. The Diplomat looks at the use of weaponized drones by terrorists in other parts of the world.