How Drones are the new face of warfare, Pg10

Key highlights

• Drones are reshaping modern combat by blending military and commercial tech, acting as force multipliers and redefining strategy.
• India’s Operation Sindoor reflects a tactical shift in drone warfare, aligning with global trends from Ukraine to Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Adversaries like China and Pakistan have diversified UAV fleets, posing evolving threats across India’s borders.
• Drone warfare relies heavily on volume, innovation, and counter-innovation; survivability depends on low-altitude operation, AI, and EW features.
• The military-commercial crossover has democratized drone warfare—3D printing and open-source designs empower both states and non-state actors.
• India’s defence production base must scale up for drone and munition manufacture, addressing uncertain demand and procurement bottlenecks.
• Counter-drone defence must extend to internal security agencies, as drones pose asymmetric threats to civil infrastructure.

Detailed Insights

• India’s integration of UAVs with standoff weapons marks a doctrinal shift, allowing it to operate in the grey zone below conventional warfare.
• Conflicts like Ukraine-Russia and Nagorno-Karabakh show drones are effective not just for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) but also for precision strikes and saturation attacks using loitering munitions.
• Ukrainian innovations such as AI navigation, terrain mapping, and fibre-optic tethering show how to counter electronic warfare and radar detection.
• Commercial drones can be quickly modified into weapons, lowering the cost barrier and allowing rapid innovation cycles, often outpacing traditional defence procurement.
• Civilian vulnerabilities from terrorist drone use require a multi-agency response including intelligence, local law enforcement, and paramilitary forces.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved

• Loitering Munitions (Kamikaze Drones): Drones that loiter over a target area before self-destructing to attack.
• Electronic Warfare (EW): Use of electromagnetic spectrum to jam, spoof, or disrupt enemy drones or communication.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) in UAVs: Used for autonomous navigation, target identification, and decision-making under contested environments.
• 3D Printing in Defence: On-demand, decentralized production of UAV components and entire airframes, crucial in conflict zones.

Mains Mock Question:

“Discuss how the rise of drone warfare is altering conventional notions of national security. What lessons should India draw from recent global conflicts in this domain?”