Unmanned Aerial Vehicle The latest drone news
The Indian Army’s mechanised forces are inducting swarm drone systems capable of carrying out offensive missions in enemy territory with scores of drones working in formations to identify, encircle and strike targets even as a proposal to develop light tanks for rapid deployment and high mobility in mountains to counter Chinese capabilities is set to come up for defence ministry approval, officials familiar with the matter said on Friday.
Drone swarms will be a force multiplier for commanders as the systems will enable better surveillance, support close reconnaissance of areas of interest and, if required, engage a raft of targets, including the enemy artillery, air defence equipment, command and control centres, tanks, infantry combat vehicles, and ammunition and fuel dumps, said one of the officials cited above, asking not to be named.
“A group of drones operating in tandem with the ground manoeuvre forces will provide a significant capability for offensive and defensive operations and sharpen the army’s combat potential,” he said.
The swarm drone systems have been developed and supplied by two Indian start-ups to meet a key military requirement and keep soldiers out of harm’s way, HT has learnt.
The mechanised forces have been equipped with the capability on the back of drone technology delivering decisive outcomes in military operations and recent conflicts around the world, including the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
The induction of drone swarm capability reflects the army’s sharpened focus on emerging and disruptive technologies to transform itself from being manpower intensive to a technology-enabled force, said a second official who also spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Artificial intelligence-based algorithms enable the drones to distribute the tasks within the swarm, smoothly navigate to the target area, carry out a search, identify and strike the targets or transmit the inputs to the control station for engagement by the weapon of choice, the second official said.
The light tank is another key capability enhancement that the army is pursuing, given that increased threat persists along India’s northern borders with China, and it will soon seek the government’s approval for the indigenous development of the tank, said a third official who also asked not to be identified.
The future tank has already been named Zorawar after 19th century Dogra dynasty king Gulab Singh’s legendary general, Zorawar Singh.
The army will seek the defence acquisition council’s acceptance of necessity (AoN) for the light tank project in September, having finalised the qualitative requirements for the new 25-tonne platform that has been deemed an operational requirement, the third official said.
The council, chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh, is India’s apex weapons procurement body, and under India’s defence procurement rules, its AoN is the first step towards buying or developing military hardware.
The ongoing border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh has shown that armour equipment profile is one of the most prominent factors defining the operational capability of the land forces, said the fourth official.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has inducted and fielded several modern tanks, including light tanks with high power-to-weight ratio, across the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC), he said, adding that the Indian Army had deployed scores of Russian-origin T-72 and T-90 tanks in the Ladakh theatre “to gain tactical surprise over the adversary and force him on the back foot.”
“However, these tanks (T-72s and T-90s) were primarily designed for operations in plains and deserts and have limitations in high altitudes. They face a similar handicap when employed in the marginal terrain of Rann of Kutch. The light tank is an operational necessity,” he said.
The army expects the light tank prototype development and trials in three years.
Zorawar will be packed with cutting-edge technologies, including drone integration, active protection systems and superior situational awareness, said the third official. “It will be an agile platform with a high power-to-weight ratio and superior firepower, protection, surveillance and communication capabilities. It will provide the army with the versatility to execute operations in varying terrain and counter the platforms deployed by the adversaries,” he added.
The officials said the light tank project would boost the Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) campaign.
India has taken several measures to boost self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector during the last two to three years, including curbing imports and allocating funds for domestic procurement.
The government has imposed a phased ban on the import of 310 different types of weapons and systems, including lightweight tanks, naval utility helicopters, artillery guns, missiles, destroyers, ship-borne cruise missiles, light combat aircraft, light transport aircraft, long-range land-attack cruise missiles, basic trainer aircraft and multi-barrel rocket launchers.
For 2022-23, India has earmarked ₹84,598 crore – 68 % of the military’s capital acquisition budget — for purchasing locally produced weapons and systems, besides setting aside 25% of the defence research and development (R&D) budget for private industry, start-ups and academia.
While the defence ministry had earmarked 64% of the capital acquisition budget for the domestic industry in 2021-22, it was able to “overachieve this target” and local military purchases accounted for 65.5% of the capital budget.
