From hobby drones to armed loitering munitions, unmanned systems now rule the low sky.
The rise of unmanned systems has changed the character of war in a way few predicted a decade ago. The air littoral—the stretch of air just above ground level and extending a few thousand feet upward—has become the zone where land forces feel the most pressure and face the greatest risk. What once appeared as a vague gap between ground operations and traditional air power is now the most crowded and dangerous layer of modern battlefields.
This shift has been driven overwhelmingly by drones. What began with hobby-grade quadcopters modified for basic surveillance has evolved into a wide spectrum of platforms: FPV drones steered straight into bunkers, loitering munitions capable of circling for hours, mid-range ISR drones that provide persistent overwatch, and emerging swarm systems that threaten to overwhelm static defences. All of these operate within the air littoral, tightening the link between air and land warfare until the two are nearly inseparable.
Ukraine is the clearest demonstration of this new reality. Both sides fly thousands of drones each day to watch enemy trenches, adjust artillery fire, identify mine gaps, or deliver explosive charges directly into vehicles and dugouts. Infantry describes FPV drones as a constant presence—an ever-circling danger that can strike with little warning. In Gaza, Israeli forces employ quadcopters for urban reconnaissance, tunnel mapping, and highly controlled precision engagements. And the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict showed how a persistent unmanned presence can wear down armour and artillery, even when those systems are dispersed and camouflaged.
Across these theatres, the same pattern emerges: the low sky shapes the decisions that commanders on the ground can make. A company that once relied on stealth or rapid manoeuvre must now assume it is being watched at all times. Armour that used to depend on speed finds itself stalked by inexpensive kamikaze drones with pinpoint accuracy. Artillery that traditionally fired from secure positions becomes vulnerable to counter-FPV hunts. The lethality of the air littoral has spread downward, affecting soldiers long before they encounter conventional air power.
This has forced armies to rethink air defence. The older model—built around long-range interceptors and heavy radars—cannot cope with dozens of small threats appearing simultaneously. Instead, militaries are investing in distributed air defence grids that include jammers, anti-drone rifles, mobile SHORAD units, handheld MANPADS, and low-power electronic warfare nodes that travel with forward formations. The intention is no longer to create a single shield but to build a flexible system that can react to cheap, fast, and disposable drones operating at close range.
The presence of these systems has also changed how manned platforms operate. Helicopters in particular face a new and unpredictable danger from FPV drones that can launch from wooded cover or narrow valleys. Pilots must rely on UAV escorts, decoy drones, and ISR platforms to map out threats before they enter the area. In this environment, the helicopter is no longer the dominant hunter but a participant in a crowded, high-risk zone where even a small quadcopter can dictate its movement.
For ground forces, the shift is even more profound. UAVs have become organic to platoons and companies, as essential as radios or binoculars. What once required an aviation unit now rests in the hands of infantry and artillery detachments who fly their own reconnaissance drones, operate FPV strike platforms, or deploy loitering munitions tailored for specific terrain. The air littoral is no longer just a layer above the battlefield—it is becoming part of the battlefield itself.
India has begun adapting to this new operational landscape. The Indian Army and special forces have expanded procurement of quadcopters, small fixed-wing UAVs, and loitering munitions from a fast-growing domestic ecosystem. iDEX-supported start-ups are building FPV drones, swarm-control software, tube-launched loitering munitions, and counter-drone systems aimed at the needs of frontline units. Recent tenders show a clear shift toward large-scale acquisition of expendable drones, acknowledging that numerical strength matters as much as capability.
Parallel to this, SHORAD enhancements are underway. Upgraded ZU-23 mounts, indigenous laser dazzlers, anti-drone jammers, and compact EW suites are being integrated into combined-arms formations. These systems are being recalibrated not for high-altitude aircraft but for the crowded and highly reactive air littoral where small drones pose the dominant threat.
This evolution is feeding directly into India’s ongoing discussions on theatre commands, particularly the question of how to divide responsibility for low-altitude air defence. The Air Force has always argued for centralised control to preserve flexibility. But the littoral environment demands quick, localised responses—often at battalion or brigade level—where drone launches, interceptions, and jamming decisions cannot wait for distant approvals. Achieving coherence across all layers of airpower, from fighters at altitude to quadcopters flying metres above the ground, is becoming one of the major doctrinal challenges for India’s joint reforms.
On the ground, control of the air littoral now shapes almost everything: the survivability of armour, the ability of infantry to manoeuvre, the tempo of artillery engagements, and the resilience of supply routes. It also connects directly with cyber and electronic warfare, as GPS denial, link interference, and counter-swarm operations play a growing role in neutralising enemy drones.
For India, whose operational environments range from the Himalayas to deserts and dense urban terrain, mastery of the low sky will decide how effectively future land campaigns unfold. Both adversaries across India’s frontiers have invested heavily in unmanned systems and counter-UAV ecosystems, making the contest for the littoral air band far more than a technical debate—it is a contest over tactical initiative.
The drone-heavy air littoral represents a deeper shift in how wars are fought. It is not a supplementary domain any longer. It is the decisive layer where detection, strike, and survival intersect. Nations that adapt to this reality will find themselves operating with clarity and confidence on the ground. Those that lag behind will discover that the true danger lies not in the distant sky but in the crowded, fast-moving airspace just above their soldiers’ heads.
