What is happening
- Exercise Name: Cold Start
- Timing: First week of October 2025
- Location: Likely Madhya Pradesh
- Participants: Indian Army, Navy, Air Force; includes industry partners, R&D agencies, academia, and other stakeholders
- Focus: Testing drones and counter-drone systems, evaluating air defence capabilities and operational readiness
Relevance:
- GS III (Internal Security & Defence): Modern warfare preparedness, drone and counter-drone technology, integrated tri-service exercises.
- GS III (Science & Technology): UAV systems, GPS-jamming, autonomous aerial platforms, R&D in defence technologies.
Background and Context
- Post-Operation Sindoor: Largest joint drill since Operation Sindoor; previous exercise validated counter-drone and GPS jamming systems.
- Evolving aerial threats: Includes drones, UAV swarms, and GPS-jamming threats from potential adversaries.
- Reference to Pakistan: Exercise aims to stay ahead of adversary capabilities, acknowledging that adversaries also learn from India’s operational experiences.
Strategic Importance
- Operational Readiness: Ensures the integrated response of Army, Navy, and Air Force to aerial threats.
- Force Multipliers: Counter-drone systems, GPS-jamming technologies, and advanced surveillance increase defensive and offensive capabilities.
- Inter-service synergy: Joint exercises enhance coordination, intelligence sharing, and rapid response across services.
Technological and R&D Dimensions
- Focus on innovation: Inclusion of industry, academia, and R&D agencies ensures testing of state-of-the-art technologies.
- Drone and counter-drone systems: Likely tests detection, interception, neutralization, and electronic warfare capabilities.
- Future warfare preparation: Exercise aligns with modern warfare trends emphasizing unmanned systems and autonomous aerial platforms.
Implications for National Security
- Airspace dominance: Enhances India’s defensive posture against UAV and drone threats, especially near sensitive borders.
- Deterrence signal: Demonstrates capability to neutralize aerial threats, sending a message to adversaries.
- Learning and adaptation: Feedback from the exercise will inform procurement, strategy, and capability development, ensuring readiness against emerging threats.
