Drone Warfare Intensifies Conflict Between India and Pakistan

India and Pakistan, longstanding adversaries, are currently engaged in their most intense military confrontation in years. Recent exchanges of shelling and drone attacks have introduced sophisticated new tactics to their ongoing conflict.

Indian defense authorities reported that Pakistan’s military launched aerial incursions at 36 different sites on Friday, deploying between 300 and 400 drones in an apparent effort to probe India’s air-defense capabilities.

On the previous day, Pakistani military sources claimed to have downed 25 Indian drones, including those near Karachi and Rawalpindi, the location of Pakistan’s primary intelligence headquarters. Pakistani officials also accused India of engaging in "drone terrorism" by targeting civilian areas, though India has not publicly addressed these allegations.

While many nations have incorporated drones into their military arsenals, this conflict marks the first time these unmanned aerial vehicles are actively used against each other by two nuclear-armed countries. The introduction of drone warfare could significantly alter international perceptions of the India-Pakistan hostilities, similar to the impact of their nuclear capabilities emerging in the 1990s.

The current tensions trace back to a militant attack last month in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 people dead. India accused Pakistan of orchestrating the assault and vowed military retaliation, which Pakistan has denied.

The situation escalated further on Wednesday after India conducted airstrikes inside Pakistan. Since then, both countries have been caught in a cycle of intensified gunfire, drone engagements, and conflicting claims that have heightened regional instability.