With an eye on both the western and eastern fronts with Pakistan and China, the Indian armed forces are steadily building a formidable arsenal of spy, target acquisition and “killer” drones or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).
Even as the navy sets up spy drone bases along the coastline and IAF inducts “killer” drones, the army has inked yet another contract to acquire two more “troops” (eight drones each) of Israeli `Heron’ medium-altitude, long endurance UAVs.
“Under the Rs 1,200 crore contract with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the army will begin inducting these new Heron drones from January 2014,” Times of India said, quoting a senior defence official.
The drones, to be inducted into the new SATA (surveillance and target acquisition) regiments are being raised from a part of the overall modernisation plan for the 1.13-million force being pushed by Army chief General Bikram Singh.
An officer said that the force wants speedy induction of various UAVs, from man-portable micro and mini spy ones to `killer’ ones that act like missiles to hit targets. The officer maintained that it would bolster capabilities for surveillance, weapon delivery and direction of artillery fire.
In keeping with the plan to progressively induct drones right down to the battalion-level by the end of this decade, the army is already establishing new UAV bases from Nagrota and Manasbal in Jammu and Kashmir to Kumbhigram and Lilabari in the north-east.
The navy, in turn, is looking to raise new UAV squadrons after establishing three at Kochi (Kerala), Porbandar (Gujarat) and Uchipuli (Tamil Nadu) to detect threats emanating from the sea.
Similarly, IAF is inducting additional Harop “killer” drones equipped with electro-optical sensors to loiter over high-value military targets before exploding into them. The force has also experimented with “add-ons or attachments” to its existing fleet of Israeli Heron and Searcher-II surveillance drones to add a killer role to them.
The armed forces eventually want full-fledged UCAVs (combat UAVs) – akin to the American Predators and Reapers being used in the Afghan-Pak region – which return to their bases like fighter jets to replenish their missiles for fresh missions.
They have inducted over 100 UAVs, mainly from Israel, as “major force-multipliers” since the 1999 Kargil conflict. DRDO, too, has got into the act by stepping up its drone programmes, from the already inducted Nishant to the under-development Rustom-I and II drones.
DRDO has also launched the secretive AURA (autonomous unmanned research aircraft) programme to develop stealth UCAVs capable of firing missiles, bombs and precision-guided munitions.
Similarly, another ambitious project on the drawing board focuses on designing solar-powered high-altitude, long endurance UAVs that can cruise in the sky for several days at a time for round-the-clock ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) missions.
Pakistan have already build drones, shame to you for posting this news on Kashmir day
Yes! Yes! But they are waiting on IMF to provide $$ to buy petrol to fly the pakistani drones!
Pakistani drones are survailence only drones, they don’t have any capability to attack anything.
No that is not true. Pakistan recently built drones which are capable of carrying small to long range missiles.
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NESCOM's 'Burraq' is the combat drone under development in Pakistan (to be armed with a new laser-guided ASM missiles and laser designator, also designed by NESCOM). Payload capacity of Burraq is 200 Kg at low service ceiling. So, it is not a long range capable (would need radar guidance etc. and cost a lot) anything …
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It proves that Media on both the sides are using provocative and sensational headlines. Such Journos in Pakistan and India should be trained again in Media Ethics. #WarMongeringMedia
Media should not hide such news rather they should expose every thing specially such things of destruction and who ever stop media they must be punished for 100 years rather all should be thankful to media.
this news should concern Pakistani military establishment.
India never uses weapons against innocents. We have a strong civil society unlike in Pakistan. We want peace but unfortunately radicals like Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan are never gonna let it happen. Our wars give business to foreign powers and that’s why forget that they can ever solve our problems. We’ll have to solve this ourselves!
Temple indoctrinated Gupta, you seem to have watched too many Bollywood movies. Bharat has occupied Hydrabad, Junagarh, Manvadar, tired to occupy Tibet and waged wars against Lanka, Nepal, Tibet, Maldives, Pakistan and even Bangladesh–800,000 soldiers rape murder and occupy Kashmiris!
Dear, it is quite wrong perception that Hafiz Saeed is a hindrance to peace….its just your media who hypes about him….while as far as I know from news he has been in courts and cases / gone thru your courts too…every time he was found fair, not involved in any terror / criminal activities….he just raise his voice more powerfully for Kashmir than any other party or individual can….
Instead of being proud about the these weapons both countries should be ashamed of the poverty and the millions of destitutes, beggers around besides million other problems faced by the people across the borders and take the path to peace……
Indians could never b friends of Pakistan. They will try to destroy whenever they find an oppertunity. So Pakistan shouldn’t at any cost b negligent to its defence
Pakistan have already build drones, shame to you for posting this news on Kashmir day
Pakistani drones are survailence only drones, they don't have any capability to attack anything.
It proves that Media on both the sides are using provocative and sensational headlines. Such Journos in Pakistan and India should be trained again in Media Ethics. #WarMongeringMedia
this news should concern Pakistani military establishment.
India never uses weapons against innocents. We have a strong civil society unlike in Pakistan. We want peace but unfortunately radicals like Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan are never gonna let it happen. Our wars give business to foreign powers and that's why forget that they can ever solve our problems. We'll have to solve this ourselves!
Instead of being proud about the these weapons both countries should be ashamed of the poverty and the millions of destitutes, beggers around besides million other problems faced by the people across the borders and take the path to peace……
Here comes another drone race! drones are only successful if used within a territory where they are allowed to be airborne, most can be shot down at will!
indiam drone better than china and pakistan
Both countries are not fools to talk about their intrinsic strengths… They will release information either after its usefulness is over, or to satisfy prying media. Let's not talk as if we know what's happening everyday at the front lines..
These drones are good for crowd control operations, during Large Public gatherings, Similar to Googles satellite snaps which have been blocked for public use.
Pakistan is a confused state they dont know what to do..they tried there best to take kashmir ,ciachin kargil..but they are looser and will remain looses..they fought many war but never able to defeat india…what they say or wright they will remain looser..take an example of osama..
Half of Kashmir has been liberated as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan
Pakistan came into exitance with a goal for self determination. Have they achieved that?
Obsession with India is needed so that the real bankrupt economic and political system remains hidden
Pakistan , Egypt, saudia Arabia
Iran ,moraco and Algeria They
should be : a mian Warrning to usa if usa Gov are threat to any Muslim country or if usa goverment they cross the red line with any arab or any muslim country…..
Power to ISLAM , INSHA ALLAH
The problem with Pakistan is their religion and the denial of their past. VS Naipaul in his book ‘Amongst the Believers’, stated:
“Islam is in its origins an Arab religion. Everyone not an Arab who is a Muslim is a convert. Islam is not simply a matter of conscience or private belief. It makes imperial demands. A convert’s world view alters. His Holy places are in Arab lands; his sacred language is Arabic. His idea of history alters. He rejects his own; he becomes, whether he likes it or not, a part of the Arab story. The convert has to turn away from everything that is his. The disturbance for societies is immense, and even after thousand years can remain unresolved; the turning away has to be done again and again. People develop fantasies about who and what they are; and in the Islam of converted countries there is an element of neurosis and nihilism.”
Yes, you are right Islam makes imperial demands but in return it assures success.
A person who follows Islam in true spirit is destined for success.
Yes, you are right Islam makes imperial demands but in return it assures success.
A person who follows true spirit of Islam is destined for success.
A person who applies the rules of Islam in all aspects of life would be never disappointed.
ya all pakistani r converted muslims their ancestors r hindu
What a vacuous point, even the Saudi arabs are "converted" – They accepted Islam after it came to them, some sooner others later
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