Surveillance boost: Army to raise ‘Baaz Battalions’, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• The Indian Army is establishing dedicated Baaz Battalions to significantly enhance its Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) capabilities.
• These battalions aim to strengthen battlefield surveillance, intelligence gathering, and rapid response through a specialized drone force.
• The initiative was announced by Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and builds upon the Army's existing RPA Flights.
• The decision is influenced by lessons learned from border standoffs along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.

Detailed Insights:

• The Baaz Battalions will centralize the Army's expanding drone capabilities, managing the entire lifecycle of RPA operations, including deployment, maintenance, and data exploitation.
• They will be placed under the Army Aviation Corps and comprise a specialist pool of trained personnel.
• These battalions are distinct from the tactical 'Ashini drone platoons' used by infantry and 'Divyastra batteries' for loitering munitions by artillery.
• The move is designed to ensure a sustained operational tempo and a persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability across the battlefield.
• The battalions will operate long-range UAVs such as the MQ-9B SkyGuardian from the US, Heron and Hermes from Israel, and various indigenous systems.
• The Indian Army's drone fleet has expanded from a few hundred to over 50,000 in the last two years, with projections to double within the next two to three years.
• This initiative aligns with the Army's broader "Decade of Transformation" to integrate advanced aerial surveillance and situational awareness tools.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA): An aircraft operated without a pilot onboard but under the control of a remote pilot.
• Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR): The coordinated and integrated collection, processing, and dissemination of information to support military operations.
• Army Aviation Corps: The branch of the Indian Army responsible for operating and maintaining its aviation assets.