The Indian military has found an unconventional use for kites - they have been taught to shoot down drones, the Times of India reports.

The use of kites against drones was first demonstrated during the Indian-American exercise Yudh Abhyas-2022.

The combat birds will now serve the Indian army on a par with service dogs, the newspaper notes. In particular, the birds will hunt down Pakistani drones, which, according to Indian border guards, are used to smuggle drugs, weapons and money into Jammu, Kashmir and Punjab.