FUTURE-PROOFING THE BORDERS WITH THE HELP OF DRONES

It is not just acquisition of drones but also training and constant update for users on the ground. Future warfare is going to be futuristic, writes R CHANDRAKANTH

- R CHANDRAKANTH

The recent incursions by China in Ladakh and the reports that China is not just one of the biggest manufacturers of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) but also a major exporter are matters of serious security concerns along the northern frontiers. Equally disconcerting is that the dragon has reportedly sold to Pakistan 48 GJ-2 strike model of MALE (under the brand name of Wing Loong II) which can carry up to 12 missiles.

Besides, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China is said to be deploying CH-4 combat drones and the Harbin BZK-005C in high altitude drones along its borders. In fact, China admits in its newspaper Global Times that it has an edge over India with increased deployment of drones across the border since 2017 when the Doklam standoff surfaced.

In the last one year, Indian armed forces in Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab have intercepted several drone ‘mules’ deployed by Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. They are reportedly the conduit for supply of weapons to terrorists. Even during the Kargil war of 1999, media reports indicated that small flying objects were seen near the Line of Control (LoC) and the then Army Chief General VP Malik (Retd.) had said “at that time, drones were not something that we had in mind and hence we could not say for sure what they were.”

India should look beyond ISR