While the world talks about increasing women inclusion, India walks the talk. Indian armed forces are not just incorporating more women but scripting history! In a landmark move that marks a bold leap in defence modernisation, the Border Security Force (BSF) has launched its first all-women drone unit – the ‘Durga Drone Squadron’.
The trailblazing unit is currently undergoing advanced training at the School of Drone Warfare (SDW) inside the BSF Academy in Gwalior, signalling a transformative shift in the role of women in frontline security. Through this training, women personnel are being taught to operate and control drones, conduct surveillance missions, and collect data for intelligence purposes.
Senior leadership, including BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chaudhary, IPS, and Dr. Shamsher Singh, IPS, Additional DG and Director of the Academy, is spearheading this initiative that fuses women power with cutting-edge unmanned technologies.
Durga Drone Squadron: What are women warriors being trained in?
The all-women squadron is mastering a full spectrum of advanced drone capabilities, including high-resolution surveillance and intelligence gathering; tactical reconnaissance across complex terrains; counter-drone operations using electronic detection and neutralisation; search and rescue missions in disaster-hit zones; drone maintenance and operational troubleshooting.
The training focuses on equipping personnel with modern tech-driven skills crucial for anti-infiltration, border monitoring, and rapid response missions.
Why an all-women drone squadron?
The initiative draws strength from what officials describe as women’s natural attributes of patience, precision, perseverance. These traits, according to BSF officers, are essential for high-stakes drone operations where focus, timing, and mission discipline determine success.
“This initiative will empower women warriors to perform with speed, accuracy, and self-reliance in all terrains and conditions,” The Times of India quoted a senior officer as saying.
How will the Durga Drone Squadron strengthen border security?
Once deployed, the Durga Drone Squadron is expected to dramatically enhance surveillance depth along international borders, data-driven decision-making, actionable intelligence flow from ground units, real-time threat detection, especially against cross-border drone incursions.
The unit will be a core component of India’s emerging ‘smart border security framework’, where technology amplifies tactical readiness.
What role does BSF’s School of Drone Warfare play?
The SDW at BSF Academy Gwalior has rapidly evolved into the BSF’s premier centre for drone training. It currently runs Drone Commando Course, Drone Warrior Course, Drone Orientation Programme. These courses are producing a new cadre of tech-savvy BSF troopers capable of tackling surveillance challenges, anti-smuggling operations, and emergency response missions.
The Durga Drone Squadron is being hailed as a defining moment in the expansion of women’s roles across India’s security grid. An officer at the academy summed it up by saying that modern warfare is not about muscle but about mindset and mastery of technology, and our women soldiers are redefining frontline security, with drones as their new wings.