3-day IAF Dronathon-2026 to be held at Pokhran range from Sep 14

Jaisalmer, Sep 8 (IANS) Focusing on swarm technologies and electronic warfare, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will organise a three-day Dronathon-2026 at Pokhran range here from September 14, an official said on Tuesday.

The event aims to offer domestic manufacturers to exhibit their capabilities and advancements in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS), the Defence Ministry official said in a statement.

The event is designed to help stakeholders to witness emerging drone and counter drone technologies along with their operational demonstration and foster mutual learning, it added.

Dronathon-2026 will include a static display and live demonstrations, the statement said.

"It will help to identify contemporary solutions and evaluate their combat effectiveness. Key areas of focus include surveillance and reconnaissance, autonomous operations, swarm technologies, and electronic warfare," the Ministry said.

"Aligning with the national vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', Dronathon-2026 aims to bolster the indigenous defence ecosystem by integrating industry experts, start-ups, and innovators," the statement added.

Through such initiatives, the IAF remains committed to building a technologically advanced, indigenous and future-ready force capable of meeting security challenges in the rapidly changing operational environment, it said.

In a separate development, the Indian Army's Southern Command conducted a nearly two-week-long joint Counter-Terrorism Training Capsule for CISF personnel, aiming to strengthening jointness and enhancing preparedness, a statement said.

The Southern Command on social media platform X said, "Under the aegis of Goldern Katar Division, conducted a joint Counter-Terrorism Training Capsule for CISF personnel from August 24 to September 5, 2026, enhancing operational readiness, interoperability and inter-agency coordination."

"The capsule covered urban and semi-urban counter-terrorism operations, small-team operations and coordinated response in high-risk scenarios. Participants were also introduced to emerging capabilities through sessions on AI, drone warfare and Counter-UAS," the Southern Command noted.

"A practical validation exercise at the culmination assessed the application of concepts and reinforced leadership, communication, teamwork and coordinated response in high-risk scenarios. The training further strengthened Army-CISF synergy and joint preparedness to meet contemporary security challenges," the statement said.

--IANS

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