COUNTERING THE DRONES

The successful testing by Nagpur-based private aerospace sector Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) of the low-cost counter-swarm drone system, 'Bhargavastra', recently could not have come at a better time when nations are trying hard to deal with the rising menace of drones. Bhargavastra will surely be welcome in the global anti-drone market that is expected to grow from $4.48 billion in 2025 to $ 14.51 billion by 2030.

- Prakash Nanda

In fact, as one writes this, Greece is said to have successfully tested a system named Centauros that can detect drones from a distance of 150 km (93 miles) and fire from 25 km (15.5 miles). Greece plans to install it throughout its naval fleet.

The success of systems like Bhargavastra and Centauros is raising many interesting questions in the strategic circles of the world. Are drones now becoming “No More Potent?” Has “ The End of Drone Supremacy”, as American strategic analyst Mark T. Kimmitt said recently, really begun?

It may be a little premature to answer these questions, but the fact remains that counter-drone technology, also known as counter-UAS or C-UAS, to detect and/or intercept unmanned aircraft systems while in flight, is gaining potency. It is understandable how drones became “iconic weapons”, given their efficacy in the initial months of the war in Ukraine in 2022 and Hamas’ attack on Israel in 2023. Drones have become more intelligent with AI, enabling them to perform complex tasks autonomously. Operating in swarms, they have increased their effectiveness in reconnaissance, surveillance, and potentially even offensive operations.

Advanced targeting systems allow drones to strike specific targets with greater accuracy, minimising collateral damage. Above all, they are really cheap in the sense that a drone costing 500 U.S. dollars can down a fighter plane or destroy a warship worth millions. But then the fact remains that the drones are no longer invincible as seen during recent aerial skirmishes between India and Pakistan, Iran-Israel combats and the Russian neutralisation of cheap and plentiful Ukrainian drones. In other words, drones may be near-perfect weapons, but they are becoming vulnerable.