India to hold mega drone drill ‘Cold Start’ to test air defence

24 SEPTEMBER 2025

The Army, Navy, and Air Force will conduct a joint exercise in the October to test drones and counter-drone systems.
Named “Cold Start”, the exercise is likely to be held in Madhya Pradesh.
Officials described it as the biggest such drill to be conducted since Operation Sindoor, aimed at assessing the effectiveness and shortcomings of the current air defence capabilities.
Our counter-drone and GPS jamming systems performed effectively during Operation Sindoor, ensuring no damage from adversary drones.
But the adversary has also learned our capabilities. Next time, we have to be ahead and much better.
He said the vision for the future involves an integrated defence system, inspired by the Sudarshan Chakra concept, to counter drones, UAVs, hypersonic weapons, and other threats.