India is preparing for its most ambitious military drill yet, the Cold Start Exercise 2025. Scheduled for October, this will be India’s biggest drone and counter-drone drill in history. For me, Cold Start is not just an exercise; it’s a way of life. It represents a turning point where drones and counter-UAS systems move from the sidelines to the centre of India’s warfighting doctrine.
The name “Cold Start,” once tied to India’s mobilisation strategy against Pakistan, is now being redefined. Today, it signals that unmanned warfare will shape future conflicts.
What Is the Cold Start Exercise 2025?
Cold Start 2025 is a tri-service drone warfare exercise involving the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. Unlike previous drills, which were service-specific, Cold Start focuses on joint operations to test how UAVs and counter-drone weapons can transform modern battlefields.
Key aspects include:
- Testing UAV swarm tactics in India at scale.
- Validating Bhargavastra counter-drone missiles against live swarm threats.
- Allowing industry and R&D observers to align innovation with battlefield requirements.
From my perspective, Cold Start is more than a rehearsal. It is a battlefield laboratory for India’s next-generation warfare.
Read More: What Is Mission Sudarshan Chakra? India’s Iron Dome Plan
Explore: Blaze Drone: India’s Smallest Fully Indigenous UAV
Why Cold Start Matters in 2025
The timing is critical. India has experienced drone intrusion threats along its borders, while conflicts in Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh, and the Middle East have shown how loitering munitions and drone swarms can outsmart even advanced militaries.
Cold Start matters because it:
- Prepares India for drone-versus-drone warfare.
- Validates Atmanirbhar Bharat drones and counter-UAS systems.
- Signals that India’s Cold Start doctrine now integrates drones into rapid mobilisation plans.
- Supports Mission Sudarshan Chakra, India’s upcoming multi-domain defence shield.
Cold Start and Atmanirbhar Bharat Defence Drive
Cold Start 2025 will also highlight the success of Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence manufacturing. For years, India imported UAVs, but today the focus has shifted to indigenous innovation.
During the drill, India will field:
- Swarm drones developed by startups like BotLab Dynamics.
- The Bhargavastra counter-UAS system is capable of destroying swarms in seconds.
- Loitering munitions and UAV squadrons are designed for Indian battlefield conditions.
For the first time, India will showcase an end-to-end indigenous drone ecosystem where UAVs, counter-drone missiles, and air defence work together.
Key Features of Cold Start Exercise 2025
Tri-Service Integration
Army ground forces, Navy maritime assets, and Air Force UAV squadrons will operate together, simulating multi-domain warfare scenarios.
Counter-Drone Validation with Bhargavastra
India’s Bhargavastra counter-drone missile system will be tested against rogue UAVs and swarms. It combines hard-kill and soft-kill methods, making it a cornerstone of counter-UAS systems in India.
UAV Swarm Tactics for Future Battles
The exercise will test swarm tactics for surveillance, deception, and coordinated strikes. These simulations mirror drone warfare lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East.
Industry and R&D Involvement
For the first time, the defence industry, startups, and academic observers will directly witness a tri-service drill. This ensures Cold Start lessons flow quickly into R&D pipelines.
Cold Start as a Signal to Pakistan and China
Reviving the Cold Start name is deliberate. It signals to Pakistan and China that India’s rapid response doctrine now extends into drone-age warfare, strengthening deterrence.
Lessons from Ukraine and Global Drone Wars
India has studied drone warfare worldwide:
- In Ukraine, cheap drones overwhelmed billion-dollar air defence systems.
- In the Middle East, kamikaze drones and loitering munitions proved devastating.
- In Nagorno-Karabakh, swarm UAVs allowed smaller forces to outmanoeuvre larger adversaries.
From my perspective, India cannot wait to adapt. Cold Start is India’s proactive step to absorb global lessons and apply them at home.
Cold Start and Mission Sudarshan Chakra Integration
Cold Start is not just about today; it connects to India’s future vision of Mission Sudarshan Chakra, a multi-domain defence shield planned for the 2030s.
Mission Sudarshan Chakra will integrate:
- AI-driven radars and sensors.
- Swarm drones and loitering munitions.
- Counter-UAS systems like Bhargavastra.
- Hypersonic missile interceptors.
Cold Start will serve as the testing ground for these capabilities, ensuring India is ready for the next era of multi-domain warfare.
Challenges for India’s Cold Start Exercise
Cold Start is ambitious, but challenges remain:
- Managing swarm drones under electronic warfare and jamming.
- Integrating new UAV systems with legacy radars and air defence networks.
- Preventing friendly-fire risks and misidentification of civilian drones.
- Scaling indigenous production of drones and counter-drone missiles.
- Countering future AI-driven or stealth drones from adversaries.
These hurdles are real, but Cold Start provides the platform to expose and address them.
My Perspective on Cold Start 2025
For me, Cold Start 2025 is more than a drill. It is a strategic declaration of intent.
What I find most inspiring is that India is preparing not only to operate drones but also to defeat enemy UAVs. This balance of offence and defence is what makes Cold Start historic.
It reassures me that India is serious about preparing for a future battlefield that will be unmanned, fast, and networked. By uniting the armed forces, industry, and research agencies, Cold Start builds the ecosystem India needs to lead in the drone era.
FAQs on Cold Start Exercise 2025
Q1. What is India’s Cold Start Exercise 2025?
It is a tri-service military drill focusing on drones and counter-drone warfare.
Q2. When will Cold Start Exercise 2025 take place?
It is scheduled for October 2025 in central India.
Q3. Which drones will India test in Cold Start?
India will test swarm drones, loitering munitions, and indigenous UAV squadrons.
Q4. What is Bhargavastra in Cold Start 2025?
Bhargavastra is India’s indigenous counter-drone missile system designed to destroy UAV swarms.
Q5. Why is Cold Start important for India’s defence?
It prepares India for drone-heavy conflicts and integrates unmanned systems into its doctrine.
Q6. How is Cold Start linked to Atmanirbhar Bharat?
The exercise will showcase indigenous drones and counter-UAS technologies.
Q7. What is the connection between Cold Start and Mission Sudarshan Chakra?
Cold Start will provide testing data for India’s future multi-domain defence shield.
Q8. Who is India signalling through Cold Start?
It signals to Pakistan and China that India’s doctrine now includes drone-age warfare.
Conclusion
As India gears up for Cold Start Exercise 2025, one fact is clear: the battlefield has changed. Tanks and jets will remain important, but the wars of tomorrow will be decided by drones and counter-drone systems.
For me, Cold Start is a turning point. It strengthens Atmanirbhar Bharat, inspires domestic innovation, and signals to adversaries that India is ready to dominate in the drone age.
Cold Start may be labelled an exercise, but its impact will be real. It will shape doctrine, guide industry, and prove that India is ready for the wars of tomorrow.