India’ Approach Towards Drone Warfare

Aishani Narula | Posted on October 5, 2023 |

This paper talks about India’s defense strategies, and new developing technologies like UAVs (Unmanned aerial Vehicles) also called as drones while classifying them into different types and different kinds of threats caused by them to mankind. Pakistan’s increasing threat in terms of cross-border smuggling and terrorism, with the rigorous use of drones and drone attacks, countermeasures taken by India to tackle the situation, and India’s ‘Make in India’ policy. Finally, it highlights points that must be considered as drone warfare capability building moves forward. The article makes the case that it is impertinent for India to take action to increase its drone warfare capability through both domestic manufacture and foreign purchase given the geopolitical circumstances of the country.

Introduction

National policy goals and objectives must inform the use of force or the threat of using it. The main strategic challenge for India, a nation that has spent centuries under foreign rule, is to rediscover its identity. A lasting peace would be necessary for the purpose to remain the human development of its people. Deterrence and dissuasion must thus be the primary goals of the national response to conflict in order to promote peace. The goal in the case of a dispute must be early conflict resolution, with sufficient mechanisms for controlling conflict in place to lessen the danger of escalation. The ability and willingness to conduct war must both be present.

When Pakistan dispatched armed raids to forcibly seize the state of J&K soon after independence, the conflict there began. The raiders across the current Line of Control (LoC) were chased away by the Indian state in quick action with the help of the Indian Army, but Pakistan has continued its efforts to annex the state by force. Pakistani lawmakers have constantly pushed for tough and combative tactics against India regarding the Kashmir issue.

The Indian military engages in complex cross-border counterinsurgency operations, targeted attacks, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Putting on a variety of hats to combat the wide spectrum of challenges the nation faces in the geopolitical climate of the twenty-first century (Bhardwaj, 2021). Planning, and eliminating such threats calls for a proactive attitude toward implementing new military technology, the tactical expertise to utilize such technology, and the political aptitude to handle the security ramifications of such activities (Chopra, 2022).

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are considered one of these cutting-edge weapons of warfare, are now a crucial component of surveillance and retaliation operations (Chopra, 2022). more than one. Drones are no longer only used in American counterterrorism operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but also in a dozen other nations. In addition to being heavily utilized by both sides in the most recent war between Ukraine and Russia, UAVs also played a crucial part in the armed struggle between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Types of Drones and Uses

Based on their weight, the equipment they carry, and their price, drones are fundamentally divided into classes I, II, and III.

Although the calibre and genre differ, detection and two-way communication devices are required in all.

While class I drones are often just equipped with electro-optical equipment for detection, the more expensive and heavy drones may be fitted with radars or radiofrequency detectors.

Tactical drones frequently use a direct data link from a satellite/ground station combination, whereas strategic/operational drones may also contain onboard artificial intelligence.

Though every drone operation will include a flight controller, ground control station, and data links. Control can be done with direct radio waves and visual line-of-sight, or it can be done via satellite communications and beyond visual line-of-sight.

Additionally, every drone must have a striking capability, either built into the device itself or available as a follow-up option. The former might refer to a drone’s missiles or a suicide mode. On the other side, follow-up mode would require additional resources and precise bombs, which would increase the cost of the operation. As a result, it is reasonable to assume that heavier, more expensive drones will be utilized more at the beginning of a battle, before opponent counter-drone technology has been deployed, or after it has been suppressed. The latter would necessitate reserving sufficient quantities of precision-guided weapons. Even so, it’s more likely that tactical drones will be used for strike and observation during the whole conflict.

The lighter tactical drones are more likely to negatively impact the soldier in battle since they have been positioned as a cost-effective multi-task weapon in warfare. It would be against the purpose of employing the drone to risk deploying a comparable or more expensive drone to engage an adversary’s equipment.

Tactical commanders rarely have access to aviation assets, which makes them less responsive to their demands. As a result, there is a long delay between requests and jobs being completed. The delay could be significant and have negative effects. Additionally, even when accessible, aviation assets frequently fly significantly higher due to their expenses, making it difficult to gather tactical information and assign contacts. (col. Akshya Handa,2021) The time it takes for information (when accessible) to filter down widens the divide. Drones can fill this crucial void with tactically-level aerial capabilities that are prompt, responsive, and precise. In addition to attacks, tactical commanders can use drones for the following tasks:

Intelligence All commanders must be able to discern the enemy’s intentions. While higher-level commanders look for adversary intent at distances where the latter is still out of immediate contact, at the tactical level the intent is obvious after contact is about to happen or has already started. Hence. At the tactical level as opposed to the operational or strategic levels, real-time intelligence is more important. It is best to view indicators of purpose from an overhead platform.

Coordination In combat, it is crucial to coordinate one’s resources. To evaluate the tactical environment and build a picture, commanders must rely on reports. Untrue allegations or reports might fail. The shorter reaction time makes it dangerous for tactical commanders. The ability for commanders to see the battlefield in real-time using drones can be useful.

Controlling Fire, the restriction for indirect firing is observation. Weapon ranges can be completely utilized if the same is made available in the future. Although it is provided through air observation, its capabilities are constrained. The best answers for the same are provided by drones.

Around the Corner, Over the Ridge Line, and Visual Defilements Tactical commanders have faced difficulties because of ridgelines throughout history. Always use vigilance when ascending or descending, as well as when on the flanks, which are natural hiding places for ambushes and stand-off attacks. Due to the many operational terrains, the list now includes corners and defiles (particularly in jungles). For tactical commanders in such regions, drones may be quite useful since they allow sight to be projected far earlier.

Communication over the Horizon Tactical commanders suffers since the restriction only allows for virtually line-of-sight communications. Drones make it simple to solve this issue. Additionally, when necessary, they can help to increase the communication equipment’s range.

Essential Supplies Tactical drones have a restricted ability to carry weight. However, in an emergency, they may occasionally carry vital supplies which could mean the difference between life and death.

Indo-Pak

According to the research, Pakistan is employing drones to flood India with drugs and weapons, and as drone technology becomes more available and inexpensive, the threat will only grow.

Drone technology has been used by Pakistan to escalate its proxy conflict with India. The infiltration of guns and drugs into the states of Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir is the present emphasis of this activity.

As a result, there is no longer any need to carry out this operation using people, which is against India’s national interests.

The rising deployment of drones by terrorist organizations and smuggling networks on India’s western border has become a new concern for that country. The use of drones by terrorist organizations and smuggling networks on India’s western border has become a new threat. The Indian narrative of the ongoing proxy war being fought by Islamabad is greatly strengthened by the fact that this action is being sponsored by the deep state in Pakistan. (ANI,2023)

Drones have without a doubt fundamentally altered the way that combat is fought. Several governments, including those in the West led by the United States, as well as Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, and Azerbaijan, have drones and have employed them for kinetic operations, and their fast spread poses a new danger to global security (ANI,2023).

Drones have been swiftly added to Pakistan’s arsenal. It is the fourth nation to successfully use a drone in an ongoing operation. Using its homegrown Burrag combat drone during an operation in North Waziristan’s Shawal Valley, the Pakistani military claimed to have killed three Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in 2015.

The Pakistan Army most recently used drones in 2022 to target TTP operatives in the Afghan regions of Khost and Kunar. Pakistan also buys military drones from China and Turkey in addition to the locally produced Burraq, Falco, and GIDS Shahpur models.

They include Bayraktar Akinci from Turkey, Caihong (CH) 4 and Wing Loong from China, and Caihong (CH) 4.

While proving to be a useful instrument for the Pakistani military and its non-state actors, drones flown into India by Pakistan offer real-time information, surveillance, and reconnaissance and carry a variety of payloads. (ANI,2023)

Mini and micro-drones are becoming more and more widely available, and this has caused them to quickly proliferate, even among rogue non-state and proxy actors.

On June 27, 2021, a big drone strike carried out by Pakistan was spotted by India at the Jammu Air Force Station. Two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were thrown on the airbase by low-flying drones, which were located 14 km from the Pakistani-Indian border.

Drones have been used to transport weapons and ammunition to terrorist organizations operating from Pakistani territory and supported by the Pakistani Army. This was seen in the Jammu incident in June 2021, when two IEDs were dropped in the Jammu Air Force Station’s technical section using drones.

The technological skill needed to alter the drones to deliver a specific payload, even though drones and their components are readily accessible commercially off-the-shelf, indicates the participation of the Pakistani military. (ANI,2023) Therefore, it becomes sense to conclude that Pakistan has something to gain by fusing terrorism and crime because doing so expands India’s danger landscape.

The Line of Control (LOC) and the international border in Jammu and Kashmir have seen an uptick in drone sightings. In comparison to 109 sightings in 2021 and 49 in 2020, the Border Security Force (BSF) reported seeing more drones in 2022 with over 268 sightings.

This pattern makes it quite evident that Pakistan’s use of drones in its proxy conflict with India is a new strategic weapon. To arm and supply terrorists on our side of the border with drugs and weapons, as well as to inflame tensions within India, technology is being used.

Countermeasures taken by India

The threat created by the use of drones for criminal and terrorist operations must be foreseen by border security services, who must plan, remain watchful, and adjust their techniques. The Indian security establishment should consider taking the following extra measures to protect the nation’s borders from hostile drones, even if it is challenging to develop an impenetrable defence against cross-border drones. (Patel, Col. Arora, 2023)

Drone tracking and detection radar

Day and night camera with laser range for drone target recognition and tracking

detection and jamming system for communications (soft kill)

(Soft kill) GPS jamming and spoofing system.

(Hard kill) Laser-directed energy weapon system.

As a result of an increase in drone activity along the Indo-Pak border, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) have identified eight companies to investigate potential solutions for problems such as the detection of drones and tunnels, among other significant border challenges. (Mohan,2023)

Together with the Indian Army, the force has been stationed along the 2,300 km International Border (IB) and 700 km of the Line of Control (LoC).

Additionally, the BSF has been educating the people living near the border about drones and the danger they bring. (Mohan, 2023) Villagers can function as a force multiplier and fill up any gaps in border monitoring by giving information to security services about the activity of hostile drones in their particular regions.

BSF is also developing and implementing physical interception techniques, such as the use of trained troops and nets to seize drones. In addition to this, BSF has experimented with deploying bullets or directed energy against invading drones to disable them. Their efficacy hasn’t yet been confirmed owing to technological restrictions. At the international border, 16 spotted drones were shot down by the BSF in 2022 compared to one in 2021, according to then-BSF Director General Pankaj Kumar Singh in November 2022.

A forensics facility in New Delhi that the BSF established in November 2021 is where drones that have been shot down and recovered are studied.[33] The forensics lab has helped evaluate the mechanical and navigational parts of recovered drones to ascertain their capabilities and flight route. To prepare its staff to manage drone activities, BSF has also constructed a new training facility under the Western Command. The training course includes instructions on how to spot drones “manually or using anti-drone systems and countermeasures against hostile drones.”

The BSF has delved into the Indian start-up ecosystem to create homegrown counter-drone technology, in line with the government of India’s “AatmaNirbhar Bharat” (Self-Reliant India) initiative. The BHUMI challenge (BSF High-tech Undertaking for Maximising Innovation) was introduced by the force in July 2021 in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Startup Hub. Its goal is to investigate emerging technologies and identify incubation programs that can help provide solutions for border security. The creation of a domestic anti-drone gun solution is the fruit of this initiative’s success. The technology was created by Gurutvaa Systems, a startup located in Pune, with assistance from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, and it was given to the BSF in June 2022. (Patel, Col. Arora, 2023)

To create homegrown solutions, the BSF has partnered with institutions like the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). To conduct research and develop artificial intelligence (AI)-based counter-drone detection and neutralization technologies to safeguard the borders, it has also contacted start-ups like Skylark Labs India. These AI-based systems employ machine learning (ML) to detect threats and sensors like radar, light detection and range, and cameras to detect drones. (Patel, Col. Arora, 2023) It identifies between approved and prohibited drones and can stop threats via jamming, GPS interference, or physical barriers. It connects with other security systems and offers real-time notifications.

But while these actions are being taken, sabotage components have also changed. For instance, to circumvent security forces who undertake depth area monitoring and install anti-drone technology, drug trafficking networks, and terrorist outfits have transferred their attention to other susceptible locations.

Conclusion

Drones are remotely controlled aerial vehicles without any people inside; they are also known as remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (Bhardwaj, 2021). Drones are cutting-edge equipment that is widely employed in both offensive and defensive actions, and they have recently become an essential part of military operations. These are regarded as playing a key role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and contributed significantly to the Azerbaijani troops’ victory over the Armenian army.

The Army, Navy, and Airforce of India have recently entered the drone acquisition race by signing many domestic and foreign contracts to purchase drones with a variety of capabilities (Phillip, 2022). Four ideas for the future, One is the cost-effectiveness of utilizing drones rather than soldiers, particularly for counterterrorism operations (McLean, 2023). The second is the strategy the government should use to increase indigenous output. Thirdly, law construction in the drone and drone warfare space. Fourth, establishing a drone warfare doctrine for India, facilitating tri-service collaboration, and Five, the significance of global collaborations (Bhardwaj, 2021).

Thus, this paper argues that Indian warfare may not be that way ahead in the race yet but with India’s consistent efforts and new technologies being developed daily India will tackle its threats more efficiently in the coming future and will come up with new countermeasures along with the current to keep its border and citizens safe.

End Notes

Claws Journal, winter 2013, https://indianarmy.nic.in/WriteReadData/Documents/combattingcrossborder.pdf

Drone and Counter-Drone Warfare At Tactical Level – Center For Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS). (2021, February 8). Drone and Counter-Drone Warfare at Tactical Level – Center for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS). https://www.claws.in/drone-and-counter-drone-warfare-at-tactical-level/

Drones: An emerging threat on India-Pakistan border,
https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/drones-an-emerging-threat-on-india-pakistan-border20230627232303/

BSF takes steps to counter drones https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/nation/bsf-takes-steps-to-counter-drones-845400 Tribuneindia News Service,

Countering Hostile Drone Activity on the India-Pakistan Border, https://www.orfonline.org/research/countering-hostile-drone-activity-on-the-india-pakistan-border/#_edn40,
ORF, May 09, 2023