The Indian Army is preparing to enhance its drone capabilities. It will specifically include more powerful drones for ISR, which stands for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and precision strikes. The Russia-Ukraine and Armenia-Azerbaijan conflicts have highlighted the importance of drones in modern warfare.
The army now seeks drones with a range of over 1000 km, an altitude of over 30,000 feet, and the ability to fly for more than 24 hours. Focus is being placed on indigenous development and foreign collaboration.
Why are powerful drones necessary?
The army is preparing itself for any war-like situation in the future. It is planning a long-term strategy to enhance its drone capabilities. These drones will assist in monitoring the enemy, gathering information, and conducting precision strikes.
The wars between Russia-Ukraine and Armenia-Azerbaijan have demonstrated how essential drones are. The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Remotely Piloted Aircraft is increasing in modern warfare. In this context, the army also wants to strengthen its drone fleet.
The army wants UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and RPAs (remotely piloted aircraft) that can travel very far. These drones will be able to fly a distance of more than 1,000 km. They will be capable of flying at altitudes above 30,000 feet to evade enemy radar. Their flight capacity will also be very high. They will be able to fly continuously for more than 24 hours. This information was provided to Times of India by top sources.
What drones does China have?
China has over 2,000 excellent drones. These include combat drones like CH-4, CH-5, CH-7, Wing Loong-II, and Hongdu GJ-11 ‘Sharp Sword’. China is also the world’s largest military drone exporter. It is supplying CH-4 and Wing Loong-II drones to Pakistan. Pakistan has about 150-200 drones, including Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci drones.
These are the drones of the Indian Army
The Indian Army has about 50 Israeli Heron Mark-I, Mark-II, and Searcher-II MALE (Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance) drones. Amidst military standoffs with China, the army has added four new Heron Mark-II drones to enhance surveillance along the LAC (Line of Actual Control). While the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy have their own drones, all three services need at least 150 new MALE drones.
These drones will be developed by DRDO
For this, the army is focusing on indigenous drone development with the help of DRDO and private companies, which also includes collaboration with friendly nations. DRDO has developed drones from the Rustom series, including Tapas-BH-201. However, it has not fully met military needs. A source said, ‘Efforts are underway to enhance the capabilities of Tapas.’
The first flight of the armed MALE drone Archer-NG developed by DRDO is expected to take place soon. In terms of more capable HALE (High-Altitude Long-Endurance) drones, the army will receive 31 MQ-9B ‘Predator’ drones. This deal is with the United States.
