Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems in the Era of Precise Mass: Operational Lessons from Recent Conflicts and Implications for India

Recent conflicts constitute the most consequential empirical test of counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) and layered air defence architectures since the inception of modern drone warfare. This article synthesises verified open-source evidence from the 2026 Iran War, the Russia–Ukraine conflict and India’s Operation Sindoor to identify three paradigm-altering developments: the industrialisation of drone–missile saturation as an operational norm; the emergence of low-cost interceptor drones as the decisive corrective to unfavourable cost-exchange ratios; and the migration of command-and-control architectures to satellitemediated networks that render conventional electronic warfare increasingly inadequate. The analysis demonstrates that interceptor magazine depth— rather than detection capability or single-shot accuracy—has become the binding strategic constraint in sustained high-intensity C-UAS operations. Recommendations for India’s C-UAS posture are derived inferentially from these findings, with particular emphasis on indigenous low-cost interceptor development, directed-energy weapon recalibration and sovereign satellite communication backbones for C-UAS command and control.