New Delhi: The Border Security Force (BSF) has commissioned its first-ever all-women “Durga Drone Squadron” at the School of Drone Warfare (SDW), situated within the BSF Academy in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
This historic formation marks a major milestone in integrating gender inclusivity with advanced technological warfare within India’s premier border-guarding organisation.
Named after the goddess Durga, symbolising strength and protection, the all-female squadron represents a strategic leap in empowering women officers with frontline operational roles involving autonomous systems and drone-based surveillance.
The initiative aligns with the BSF’s objective to modernise and diversify its force composition amid changing threat environments along India’s borders.
The Durga Drone Squadron is trained at the SDW, a state-of-the-art facility specialising in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) operations, counter-drone tactics, and artificial intelligence-driven reconnaissance missions.
The women personnel underwent rigorous certification covering aerial surveillance, payload integration, photogrammetry, and electronic counter-measures. Their training programme also included simulations for terrain analysis, cross-border infiltration detection, and real-time situational monitoring.
Operationally, the squadron’s mandate includes border surveillance, anti-smuggling operations, disaster response, and night-time reconnaissance. Equipped with fixed-wing and multirotor drone platforms, the unit is expected to provide tactical overwatch in sensitive border sectors where manual patrolling remains hazardous or logistically challenging.
The SDW has incorporated indigenous and hybrid drone technologies procured under the government’s Make in India initiative, ensuring interoperability with other paramilitary and defence systems. The Durga unit’s current fleet includes long-endurance UAVs for high-altitude surveillance and VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) drones for rapid deployment in rough terrain.
BSF officials emphasise that the initiative is both symbolic and practical — symbolising the evolving role of women in India’s internal and border security matrix, and practically augmenting BSF’s surveillance capabilities through automated air intelligence. The Durga Drone Squadron is expected to serve as a model for future women-led technology units within the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
Plans are underway to replicate the model across frontier commands by 2026, with regional training detachments linked to the Gwalior SDW. This expansion aims to establish a networked response mechanism integrating drone-based situational awareness into BSF’s existing electronic surveillance grid.
The induction of the all-female drone wing signals a new chapter in the BSF’s operational doctrine — one that blends modern warfare technology with gender empowerment, reinforcing India’s growing capacity for technologically driven border security.
