The European Union (EU) and India organized a first of its kind counterterrorism training from 13 to 15 Oct 2025 to protect critical infrastructure and soft targets against emerging threats from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or drones as they are commonly known, according to an EU press release.
The three-day exercise brought together senior officers, instructors and technical experts from India’s National Security Guard (NSG) and the EU’s High Risk Security Network (HRSN), and focused on the use of advanced UAS and Counter-UAS (C-UAS) capabilities. “The peer-to-peer activity blended tactical and technological training, culminating in a joint exercise designed to strengthen interoperability and set the foundation for future collaboration,” said the press release. “It also strengthened mitigation skills and familiarised participants with deployment models for major events. Participants also deliberated on the future trajectory of drone threats, including swarm and autonomous systems and the need for advanced detection and neutralisation technologies such as artificial intelligence, sensor fusion, directed energy and kinetic countermeasures.
The EU HRSN – a specialised European platform of 28 units from 21 European Union Member States – brought a team of UAS and C-UAS instructors and technical experts to Manesar, Gurugram. India’s elite counterterrorism force NSG, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, led the training with its extensive operational experience in detecting, tracking and neutralising hostile drones.
“Special forces training on UAS counter-terrorism tactics in urban environments, combined with a joint tactical simulation exercise, allowed NSG and HRSN units to test and strengthen real-world response capabilities,” continued the text.”The activity will result in the drafting of standard operating procedures for integrated drone and counter-drone operations in various settings, and an Engagement Decision Matrix tailored to protect mass gatherings and critical infrastructure.
The event was organised by the EU Delegation to India in cooperation with the NSG and facilitated by EU project ESIWA+ (Enhancing Security Cooperation In and With Asia and the Indo-Pacific). The initiative builds on the College of Commissioners’ visit to India in February 2025 and the recently announced Joint Communication on a New Strategic EU–India Agenda, which prioritises deeper collaboration on counter-terrorism. This training is a follow-up to the India-EU Track 1.5 Roundtable on Countering Terrorist Exploitation of UAS held in February 2024. The activity aligns with the EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and builds upon the ongoing EU-India Counterterrorism Dialogue
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(Image: Copyright EUD)
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