The induction of the laser-based Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction Systems (IDD&IS) by the Indian military, developed by the country’s premier defence research agency DRDO and defence public sector undertaking Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) underscores the escalating concerns from drone attacks along the border with China. With capabilities for both ‘soft and hard kills’, including jamming and a laser-based interception, these systems offer a crucial defense mechanism for the Indian Army’s tactical operations, providing detection within a range of five to eight km.
The last four years have been tense on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border with China, as both sides have amassed large numbers of men and equipment close to the border.
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The drone detection systems couldn’t have come at a better time, for recent satellite images reveal the deployment of heavy UAVs at military bases further inland in China from the LAC, such as in Shigatse and Malan. The presence of advanced drones like the WZ-7 ‘Soaring Dragon’ at Bangda airbase, also highlight the heightened surveillance and reconnaissance activities by the Chinese military near the border regions. The capabilities of drones like the WZ-7, known for its endurance and high-resolution imaging capabilities, pose significant threats to India due to their potential for target acquisition and precision targeting support for ground operations.
Military aviation experts believe that though there are close to 150 companies worldwide that make counter-drone systems, only the US and Israel have achieved some expertise in the area. Indeed, as ongoing global conflicts show, other nations have not managed to neutralise the threat altogether. India seems to be lagging in anti-drone technology, but defence scientists of DRDO are now working on Directed Energy Weapons (weapons that use highly focused energy like lasers, electromagnetic wave, microwaves etc to destroy targets) with power levels of nearly 30-50 kilowatts.
India has developed ‘soft kill’ counter-drone systems through its private and state-owned industry and soft as well as ‘hard kill’ capabilities through the DRDO. While the soft kill measures against drone attacks use jammers to disrupt drones’ communication, disrupt GPS signals or spoof them, hard kill means targeting the drone with bullets or guns or, as in the IDD&IS, through laser beams.
It is believed that UAVs deployed by the People’s Liberation Army along its border with India undertake a variety of missions ranging from surveillance and support for logistical transport to combat damage assessment, artillery observation and sniper support.
India’s border with Pakistan is also witnessing regular use of drones from across the border. According to the Border Security Forces, last year, there were nearly 350 incidents of drones originating in Pakistan dropping weapons and narcotics.
Experts also maintained that apart from military drones, civil, domestic drones are also becoming a headache for security agencies. The counter-drone mechanism assumes significance for securing VVIPs in light of India’s liberalised drone-flying policy and the intrusive potential of these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Following the Civil Aviation Ministry’s liberalised drone policy in 2021, aimed at giving a fillip to the drone industry, security agencies are discussing several measures for creating a counter-drone mechanism.
Various measures are being taken to address the issue. The government’s upcoming National Counter Rogue Drone policy and guidelines would require all Indian drones to have registration numbers on the lines of the vehicle registration system and there will be air traffic police to monitor and counter emerging threats from rogue UAVs. The guidelines aim to provide measures to prevent the misuse of drones; for example, they state the importance of drone detection and neutralisation. It also discusses the limitations of the present drone response.
The global drone market is poised to touch $54 billion by 2025, and estimates indicate that the drone manufacturing potential in India could be worth $4.2 billion by 2025, growing to $23 billion by 2030, contributing to the country’s target of a $5 trillion economy.
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