ABC of D

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DRONES AND WHAT INDIA SHOULD FOCUS ON

- BRIGADIER P.S. RAMESH (RETD)

THE OPTIMAL EMPLOYMENT of drones depends on the synergy between three Ts—tactics, terrain and technology. While the broad tactical concepts might be similar across militaries worldwide, the execution of the same is exclusive to each nation's armed forces, and India is no exception. Terrain is country-specific, and in India’s case, it is highly diverse with a unique set of challenges, particularly in the high-altitude areas. The importance of terrain as a design factor can be best shown by comparing the Boeing AH-64 Apache and Prachand attack helicopters.

Prachand, designed specifically for India’s high-altitude conditions, has a higher operational ceiling and outperforms the Apache in the higher Himalayan regions. This highlights the significance of terrain as a critical design factor for UAS, with its effects being particularly notable for smaller, non-run-way-dependent systems.

UAS are divided into various classes based on their performance parameters, and these parameters determine their applicability for various combat echelons.

A brief analysis of these classes and emerging concepts:

BIGGER SYSTEMS

MALE (medium-altitude, long endurance) class systems can be employed both as a strike platform and for ISR (intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance) missions. The MALE strike UAS with limited warhead-carrying capability is best suited for precision strikes on high-value targets based on prior intelligence.

However, the MALE UAS as a strike platform is vulnerable to counterstrikes from capable air-defence systems because, upon firing, their location can be easily traced by electronic warfare (EW) systems.