The Reality Of India's Drone Dreams

India needs to up the drone game quickly and imports are only part of the solution, argues NINAD D SHETH

- Ninad D Sheth

Like the jarring drone of a morning alarm The Nagorno Karabakh conflict has come as a long overdue wake up call for India’s higher defence planners.

In that mini war, Azerbaijan surprised the world by effectively deploying a tactical strategy putting to use the power of two very modern drones- that are far less expensive than missile and aircraft systems- and that gave far better coordinated results when used as a part of an architecture that includes reconnaissance, specific search and destroy.

Azerbaijan deployed the Israelimade Harop drones. The employment was significant as it was able to take out the most potent Russian made S-300 missile defence system. Similarly, entire tank formations of the Armenian Army were destroyed on a surprisingly regular basis and their supply lines punctured. Graphic images of death and destruction underscored their own hits in information warfare, being strategically promoted on social media.