After Pakistani drones dropped two bombs at an Indian Air Force (IAF) station at Jammu airport, injuring two IAF personnel, the Government of India has swung into action and is likely to deploy anti-drone technology at the earliest. According to defence sources cited by Hindustan, the Israeli anti-drone SMASH 2000 Plus systems may be procured on an immediate basis. The report states that the Indian Navy has already started the process of procuring these defence systems, while the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force might take these up soon as well.
The SMASH 2000 Plus systems are fitted on a rifle and can target drones flying at high speeds. The device can detect drones and other small flying objects, not just during the day but also at night. The importance of drones in modern warfare cannot be understated, now more so than ever. With their small design, drones go undetected on the radars and thus anti-drone technology is a necessary weapon in a country’s defence arsenal.
Reported extensively by TFI, the 2020 Azerbaijan-Armenia war will go down in history as the first war where drones single-handedly turned the tide in the favour of the former. Militaries all around the world closely watched the conflict – and it provided a glimpse of the battlefields of the future. Drone strikes destroyed artillery and air defense systems along with tanks belonging to Armenian and Nagorno-Karabakh forces.
Reported previously by TFI, ramping up its modern aerial warfare capabilities, the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) in April successfully tested the Israeli Python-5 air-to-air missile by deploying it on the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft.
The test-firing was conducted in Goa and a video of the same was released by DRDO. Tejas now has the unmissable capability to destroy high-speed manoeuvering aerial targets, which would help it in tracking and shooting deadly drones.
China, India’s notorious neighbour which is perpetually on the prowl to attack the borders of the country has been gradually amassing drone fleets. And if the situation turns grim once again like it had last year after the border conflict at Eastern Ladakh, the CCP might authorize the use of drones to take down Indian military outposts. Similarly, Pakistan has started using drones frequently to intrude into India’s air space.
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Moreover, it is also being reported that India’s bid to procure combat ready UAVs is in the final stages. The Indian Army has decided to boost its existing fleet of drones with Made-in-India drones and has struck a deal with Navi Mumbai based IdeaForge for the SWITCH UAVs as a part of its tactical drones fleet for its infantry troops which will be deployed in high-altitude areas like Ladakh. The deal is reportedly worth Rs 140 crore.
If the bureaucratic hurdles are skipped, and the deal is signed quickly, the installation of lethal Israeli anti-drone system will provide India with the necessary edge, required to counter both enemies on the border.