From surveillance to situational awareness, drones in future will become the thinking partners in command, says Agnishwar Jayaprakash.

The modern battlefield is a complex and dynamic environment, demanding an unprecedented level of information superiority. For decades, traditional surveillance methods have served as the bedrock of military intelligence, providing crucial insights into enemy movements, terrain features, and potential threats. However, these methods often suffer from limitations in terms of reach, persistence, and real-time data delivery. The advent and rapid proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, are ushering in a transformative era, evolving the very concept of battlefield intelligence from passive surveillance to proactive situational awareness.

These aerial sentinels, equipped with increasingly sophisticated sensors and processing capabilities, are not merely replacing manned aircraft; they are fundamentally changing how military forces gather, analyse, and utilise information, offering a paradigm shift in operational effectiveness and strategic decision-making. The initial foray of drones into military applications primarily focused on reconnaissance and surveillance. These early UAVs acted as airborne cameras, providing commanders with a bird's-eye view of the battlefield. Their ability to loiter over areas of interest for extended periods, without risking human pilots, offered a significant advantage over traditional manned aircraft. They could silently observe enemy activities, monitor key infrastructure, and provide pre-mission intelligence, significantly enhancing the safety and effectiveness of ground troops.

This initial phase established the drone as a valuable intelligence-gathering asset, supplementing and, in many cases, surpassing the capabilities of conventional surveillance platforms. The data collected, however, often required extensive post-mission analysis, limiting its immediate tactical utility in rapidly evolving situations.

The evolution of drone technology has been nothing short of remarkable, propelling them beyond simple surveillance platforms into sophisticated intelligence hubs. Modern UAVs are now equipped with a diverse array of advanced sensors, including high-resolution electro-optical and infrared cameras, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for all-weather imaging, signals intelligence (SIGINT) suites to intercept enemy communications, and even chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) detection capabilities. Crucially, the integration of powerful onboard processors and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms is enabling real-time data analysis and interpretation. This onboard processing allows drones to not only collect vast amounts of data but also to filter, analyse, and disseminate actionable intelligence directly to battlefield commanders in near real-time. Features like automated target recognition, anomaly detection, and predictive analytics are transforming raw data into meaningful insights, significantly enhancing situational awareness.

The intelligence ecosystem is also becoming increasingly interoperable. Drones are now integrated into broader command-and-control networks, feeding their data into centralised platforms that fuse inputs from satellites, ground sensors, human intelligence, and cyber sources. This convergence is giving rise to a new model of multi-domain operations, where drones play a critical role not only in observation but also in orchestration. This shift from passive surveillance to proactive situational awareness is a game-changer for battlefield intelligence. Situational awareness goes beyond simply knowing what is happening; it involves understanding the context, implications, and potential future developments. Drones, with their persistent presence, diverse sensor capabilities, and onboard processing power, are uniquely positioned to provide this comprehensive understanding.

They can track enemy movements in real-time, identify emerging threats, monitor the effectiveness of friendly forces, and even predict potential enemy actions based on observed patterns. This enhanced awareness empowers commanders to make more informed decisions, react faster to changing circumstances, and ultimately gain a decisive advantage on the battlefield.

Consider a scenario where a drone detects unusual vehicular activity near a known enemy position. Traditional surveillance might simply flag the movement. However, a drone equipped with AI could analyse the type of vehicles, their speed, direction, and historical patterns to potentially identify an impending attack, providing commanders with crucial lead time to prepare and respond. Furthermore, the increasing autonomy of drone operations is further amplifying their impact on battlefield intelligence. While early drones were largely remotely piloted, advancements in AI and machine learning are leading to the development of more autonomous systems. These autonomous drones can conduct missions with minimal human intervention, freeing up personnel for other critical tasks.

Swarm technologies represent the next frontier – deploying large numbers of coordinated, small drones that communicate, adapt, and respond collectively to threats and objectives. Swarms can cover vast areas, provide redundancy, and offer resilience in heavily contested environments where individual assets may be lost. Each drone in the swarm can act as both sensor and shooter, or specialise in jamming, deception, or target illumination. This capability is particularly relevant in urban warfare scenarios where threats are decentralised and fluid. Imagine a swarm of drones autonomously mapping a complex cityscape, identifying sniper nests, chokepoints, and safe ingress routes in real-time. The fusion of geospatial intelligence, facial recognition, and pattern analysis can produce a dynamic operational picture that evolves minute-by-minute. As drone capabilities expand, so too do the strategic implications. The ability to maintain persistent ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) coverage without placing human lives at risk changes the calculus of force deployment. Adversaries must now contend with a constant eye in the sky that not only watches but learns.

However, this evolution also raises critical ethical and legal questions. How much decision-making authority should be delegated to AI systems? What are the rules of engagement when machines interpret intentions and trigger preemptive responses? Ensuring transparency, accountability, and adherence to international norms will be vital as autonomous systems become more prevalent.

Moreover, the democratisation of drone technology – where even non-state actors can access commercial UAVs and retrofit them for military use – presents new challenges for asymmetric warfare and counter-intelligence operations. The evolution of drones from basic surveillance platforms to sophisticated intelligence hubs is fundamentally reshaping the concept of battlefield intelligence. Their ability to provide persistent, multi-sensor data, coupled with onboard processing and increasing autonomy, is enabling a transition from passive observation to proactive situational awareness.

This enhanced understanding of the battlefield empowers commanders at all levels to make more informed decisions, react more swiftly to threats, and ultimately achieve greater operational success. As drone technology continues to advance – incorporating swarming AI, quantum sensors, and secure communications through satellite constellations – their role in providing comprehensive and actionable battlefield intelligence will only become more critical. The future of battlefield intelligence will not just be about seeing more – it will be about understanding faster, predicting better, and acting with greater precision. In that future, drones won’t just be tools of war; they’ll be thinking partners in command.

Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO, Garuda Aerospace, has over 15 years of experience in marketing, entrepreneurship, and social innovation. At Garuda Aerospace, he leads a team of passionate and talented professionals who design, build, and customise unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones for various applications, such as agriculture, surveillance, and disaster management. The company has successfully delivered projects for clients across sectors and regions, including the Indian government, the United Nations, and Fortune 500 companies. The mission is to create innovative and impactful solutions that address the world's most pressing challenges and opportunities with drones.

Agnishwar Jayaprakash graduated from the prestigious Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development (PLD) in 2018, where he honed his skills in strategy, business, and management.