Eagles trained to hunt & ‘prey’ on rogue drones

Hyderabad: Eagles as young as 45 days are being trained at the Indian Institute of Technology and Aerospace (IITA) to become lethal drone hunters using a specialised conditioning technique that turns their natural hunting instincts into a powerful defence system. By leveraging operant conditioning — a method that reinforces behaviour through rewards — these birds are conditioned to perceive drones as prey. "We use positive reinforcement by mounting pieces of raw meat atop mini and micro drones," an official explained. "As the juvenile birds learn to fly, they associate drones with food, instinctively swooping in for the kill as they mature."Beyond counter-drone operations, the eagles are also being trained to carry specialised electronic equipment, including cameras and GPS devices.The training programme is led by two expert bird handlers, recruited after IITA discovered similar techniques being used by bird enthusiasts online. "We first came across the concept on YouTube, where bird lovers were teaching birds to respond to commands. That inspired us to conduct our own in-house research and development to form a dedicated squad," the official added.Of the five eagles currently in training, four are fully operational. Three are skilled in counter-drone interception, while one specialises in electronic surveillance. However, their effectiveness is limited to daytime operations due to the bird's poor vision in low light. "We are also working on retrofitting the birds with jamming equipment, which could allow a single eagle to neutralise an entire swarm of hostile drones," the official revealed.
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