Decoy drones are reusable aerial target UAVs configured to imitate aircraft signatures, stimulate air-defense radars, and absorb or expose enemy responses. The catalog entry focuses on Banshee and Lakshya-type systems reported in Indian service during the 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict, while linking to the separate An-2 converted decoy aircraft page for Nagorno-Karabakh.
Indian forces reportedly used high-speed target drones, including Banshee and Lakshya-type systems, as decoys during Operation Sindoor to imitate fighter threats, trigger Pakistani air-defense radars, and create openings for follow-on attacks on exposed systems.
The entry groups reusable target drones reported or documented in the same deception role rather than one single airframe family.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| Banshee Jet 80+ | Twin-jet threat-representation target | QinetiQ describes the Jet 80+ as a dual-jet UAV with land and sea launch capability, digital autopilot, GPS, telemetry, parachute recovery, and up to 200 m/s straight-and-level speed. Sources: Banshee Jet 80+ |
| Banshee Jet 40+ | High-speed target-drone decoy | Defstrat identified Banshee Jet 40+ target drones among systems reportedly used by the Indian Air Force to imitate fighter aircraft during Operation Sindoor. Sources: India's Weapons Systems: Op Sindoor |
| DRDO Lakshya | Indian reusable aerial target | DRDO describes Lakshya as a reusable high-subsonic aerial target launched from land or ship and carrying towed targets with radar, infrared, or visual signature augmentation. Sources: Pilotless Target Aircraft - Lakshya |
| Lakshya-II | Lakshya family development | Public Operation Sindoor reporting grouped Lakshya-type target drones with other decoy systems; this row is retained as a family designation where exact conflict variant identification remains source-limited. Sources: India's Weapons Systems: Op Sindoor |
This page covers reusable target drones reported in Indian deception use; converted aircraft used as decoys are tracked as separate weapon records when direct conflict-use sourcing is available.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Converted unmanned aircraft | The linked An-2 record covers Azerbaijan's converted biplanes in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, a separate decoy-aircraft approach that drew Armenian air-defense fire and exposed targets for follow-on systems. |
The same battlefield function can be filled by purpose-built target drones or by converted aircraft. The rows below separate the sourced roles so the page does not treat every decoy as the same airframe family.
| Profile | Sourced role | Catalog treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Banshee Jet 80+ / Jet 40+ | Reusable high-speed target drones used for threat representation and reported as fighter-like decoys in Operation Sindoor. | Covered in this entry as the British-built part of the India/Pakistan decoy-drone reporting. |
| DRDO Lakshya | Indian reusable high-subsonic target system with tow targets carrying radar, infrared, or visual signature augmentation. | Covered in this entry as the Indian target-drone family reported in the same deception role. |
| Converted aircraft used by Azerbaijan in 2020 to draw Armenian air-defense fire and reveal positions. | Kept as a separate conflict-backed record because it has its own direct Nagorno-Karabakh sourcing. |
DRDO states Lakshya was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 2000, followed by the Indian Navy in 2001 and Indian Army in 2003.
Sources: Pilotless Target Aircraft - Lakshya
The Royal Navy reported Banshee drone launches from HMS Prince of Wales while exploring crewless technology operations from Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
Sources: Royal Navy Prince of Wales Banshee Launches
Indian press reporting said the Indian Air Force used dummy aircraft or high-speed target drones to simulate incoming fighters and prompt Pakistani air-defense radars to activate.
Sources: Times of India Operation Sindoor Dummy Jets, India's Weapons Systems: Op Sindoor
