by : TOI
The Army has launched a global hunt for a "massive" induction of "mini" and "micro" spy drones for short-range surveillance and intelli
gence-gathering missions as well as detection of NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) contaminants in the battlefield.
Interestingly, the Army even wants these man-portable spy drones or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to be capable of "a killer role". "They should be capable of carrying warheads and explosives for hard kill of light targets," said a source.
The Army, Navy and IAF, in fact, are all planning another major induction of UAVs, elated as they are with their experience of Israeli ‘Searcher-II' and ‘Heron' UAVs, inducted after the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2002 Operation Parakram in the wake of the terror attack on Parliament.
At present, the armed forces have around 100 Israeli UAVs, with more being inducted in phases, which include the Harpy "killer drones" designed to detect and destroy enemy radars by functioning like cruise missiles.
The eventual aim, of course, is to have full-fledged UCAVs (unmanned combat aerial vehicles), which in the long run may well replace manned fighter jets for medium and long-range tactical as well as strategic bombing missions.
An interim step would be to have armed drones akin to the American "Predators", armed with ‘Hellfire' missiles and laser designators, which the US has extensively used in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The IAF, on its part, is already integrating its UAVs with weapon platforms for delivering precision-guided munitions. But coming back to the "mini" and "micro" UAVs, the 1.13-million strong Army wants to induct them in phases right down to the battalion-level by the end of the 12th Plan (2012-2017).
"Since it will take time to equip all the battalions, the first priority will be the units deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East. We want both the mini and micro UAVs to be light and modular to facilitate man-pack carriage by two to three soldiers," said the source.
The Army has launched a global hunt for a "massive" induction of "mini" and "micro" spy drones for short-range surveillance and intelli
gence-gathering missions as well as detection of NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) contaminants in the battlefield.
Interestingly, the Army even wants these man-portable spy drones or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to be capable of "a killer role". "They should be capable of carrying warheads and explosives for hard kill of light targets," said a source.
The Army, Navy and IAF, in fact, are all planning another major induction of UAVs, elated as they are with their experience of Israeli ‘Searcher-II' and ‘Heron' UAVs, inducted after the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2002 Operation Parakram in the wake of the terror attack on Parliament.
At present, the armed forces have around 100 Israeli UAVs, with more being inducted in phases, which include the Harpy "killer drones" designed to detect and destroy enemy radars by functioning like cruise missiles.
The eventual aim, of course, is to have full-fledged UCAVs (unmanned combat aerial vehicles), which in the long run may well replace manned fighter jets for medium and long-range tactical as well as strategic bombing missions.
An interim step would be to have armed drones akin to the American "Predators", armed with ‘Hellfire' missiles and laser designators, which the US has extensively used in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The IAF, on its part, is already integrating its UAVs with weapon platforms for delivering precision-guided munitions. But coming back to the "mini" and "micro" UAVs, the 1.13-million strong Army wants to induct them in phases right down to the battalion-level by the end of the 12th Plan (2012-2017).
"Since it will take time to equip all the battalions, the first priority will be the units deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East. We want both the mini and micro UAVs to be light and modular to facilitate man-pack carriage by two to three soldiers," said the source.