General Dhiraj Seth has officially assumed charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi on June 30, 2026. Setting an aggressive pace for his tenure, his immediate focus is firmly on modernizing the military for next-generation combat.
The Rise of the "Baaz Battalions"
In one of his first major strategic moves, General Seth is accelerating the formation of specialized units known as Baaz Battalions. Operating under the Army Aviation Corps, these units represent a massive shift in India's tactical approach to border security and deep-area surveillance.
Unlike standard infantry units that utilize small tactical drones, the Baaz Battalions are dedicated exclusively to operating long-range, high-endurance Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). Their primary mission includes:
- Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)
- Deep-area monitoring across the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
- Precision target acquisition for artillery and missile commands
A Massive Drone Inventory
The creation of the Baaz Battalions is the culmination of lessons learned from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and recent counter-terrorism operations like Operation Sindoor. As part of its "Decade of Transformation," the Indian Army's drone inventory has now swelled to over 50,000 systems as of mid-2026, with plans to double that number in the coming years.
By creating a specialized cadre trained in the entire drone ecosystem—from deployment and maintenance to real-time data exploitation—General Seth is ensuring the Indian Army is prepared for the automated battlefields of the future.