By The Diplomat | Created at 2026-08-18 17:52:19 | Updated at 2026-08-20 01:24:03
1 day ago
The Indian Air Force (IAF) concluded a week-long helicopter drill, Exercise Rotor Clap III, on August 2 at the Pokhran firing range in Rajasthan. The exercise was conducted to validate a key operational concept of shooting down unwarranted low-flying loitering munitions and drones. The exercise is part of an attempt by the IAF to plug the loopholes exposed during Operation Sindoor, especially pertaining to the incursion of Pakistani drones deep into Indian territory. This carries serious consequences for Pakistan, as it is linked to India’s attempt to establish a defensive shield against airborne objects, as evidenced by New Delhi’s pledge to operationalize Mission Sudarshan Chakra.
As its name suggests, this was the third iteration of Rotor Clap, a drill conducted by the IAF to take out drones using its rotary assets. Rotor Clap was inaugurated in 2019; however, Rotor Clap II and III gains special significance because they followed India’s launch of Operation Sindoor in May 2025. For the IAF, the Rotor Clap exercises are an attempt to test and validate new warfighting tactics, techniques, and procedures, with a central focus on shooting down slow-moving airborne targets. The latest exercise involved rotary-wing platforms from the IAF fleet, including Apache, Prachand, Mi-25/35P, Rudra, and Mi-17V-5 helicopters.
Rotor Clap III was held under the aegis of the IAF South Western Air Command, which saw the activation of its units at forward operational bases in Rajasthan, bordering Pakistan. The air rotary maneuvers were conducted there because both Prachand and Apache helicopters are deployed in different air stations and aviation bases in Rajasthan. Prachands of the IAF have been deployed at the IAF Jodhpur air station since 2022, while Apaches are with the 451 Army Aviation Squadron based in Jodhpur. The field activity suggests these helicopters could be a broader part of Mission Sudharshan Chakra and serve as its airborne leg to intercept and neutralize aerial objects.
Rotary platforms have demonstrated in recent conflicts that they are as effective as other defense systems at shooting down intruding aerial objects. For instance, an Israeli Air Force Apache helicopter shot down six drones in a couple of minutes during the 2025 12-day Iran-Israel war. As India has close strategic cooperation with Israel, there is a strong possibility that the IAF may have approached the Israeli Air Force for assistance on counter-drone operations.
A key question arises as to whether India has sufficient numbers of helicopters to carry out the task of tracking and shooting down airborne drones and loitering munitions. The backbone of the Indian helicopter fleet would be the indigenously developed Prachand, designed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The IAF and Indian Army Aviation Corps currently have 10 and five Prachand helicopters in service, respectively.
In the future, 156 additional units will be inducted into the fleets of both services: 66 to the IAF and 90 to the Indian Army. These 156 helicopters will be delivered by 2032. The order could be completed earlier as well, as HAL has partnered with Adani Defense Systems and Technologies Limited and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) to boost its annual production.
Likewise, the Rudra attack helicopter, also made by HAL, will also be used for drone interdiction missions, as it has already been inducted in large numbers by both the IAF and the Indian Army. The IAF has one operational squadron and is expected to induct three more, whereas the army has around 75 Rudras across five operational aviation wings.
In addition, both services have 28 advanced Apache helicopters in service: 22 with the IAF and six with the Indian Army. The number will likely increase in the future, as India has already retained the capability to produce parts of the Apache, including its key component, the fuselage.
Rotor Clap III indicates that Mission Sudharshan Chakra’s scope has expanded beyond a ground-based air defense shield. It now also entails using helicopters to interdict drones and loitering munitions. It is not as cost-effective a means to interdict low-cost drones as using ground-based air defense guns or jammers; however, it is far less expensive than firing costly missile interceptors.
The exercise also envisages that rotary platforms capable of flying low to evade even low-level radars can perform these missions in proximity to the border with Pakistan. All this points to New Delhi seeking to increase its options and expand its horizons to intercept a wide range of airborne threats as part of a wider air defense doctrinal recalibration in response to limitations encountered during Operation Sindoor.
Amid rapidly changing regional and global dynamics, India’s Pakistan-specific military maneuvers, to the extent of using new tactics earlier employed by Israel against Iran, are a sign of concern for Islamabad. India has a strategic partnership with Israel, so the possibility cannot be ruled out that the IAF may have received assistance from the Israeli Air Force in the preparation and execution phase of Rotor Clap III. Israel has a history of supporting the IAF to enhance its warfighting tactics, as evidenced by its timely support during the Kargil War. Likewise, India has also been aiding Israel’s war effort against Iran, according to a newly released report by Amnesty International.
Pakistan needs to adopt new strategies and tactics to counter the IAF’s evolving tactics. First, Pakistan should induct high-speed loitering munitions, with speed exceeding Mach 0.5, as at this velocity it will be difficult for helicopter-based interdiction by the IAF.
Second, to engage Indian rotary platforms that might come close to the border, Pakistan can close the low-level radar detection gap that India seeks to exploit by deploying advanced long-range electro-optical sensors that do not rely solely on line-of-sight radar horizons, along with additional low-level radar deployment.
Last but not least, the Pakistan Army and Air Force should conduct joint exercises to develop a joint strategy to counter the IAF’s evolving tactics, thereby enabling them to uphold conventional deterrence at the tactical level.
