13-05-2025
How Drones Have Become A ‘Perfect' Weapon For War, How Were They Deployed In Indo-Pak Conflict?
Last Updated:
India and Pakistan have advanced their respective drone ecosystems in recent years, utilising both domestic manufacturing and imports from foreign allies
India has several indigenous drones such as the Nagastra-1 suicide drone, Rustom-2 medium altitude long endurance drone, and the Archer-NG armed tactical drone. (Image for representation: Sourced)
The game of drones played by both India and Pakistan in the recent past in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack shows the might of drones in modern warfare. The effectiveness of the missile attack was bolstered by the use of loitering munitions, or kamikaze drones, that have both surveillance and strike capabilities.
Pakistan responded by launching Operation Bunyan al-Marsus, targeting Indian military bases. India accused Pakistan of deploying 300-400 drones at 36 locations while firing heavy-calibre weapons along the LoC between May 8 and 9.
The word 'drone" refers to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). In other words, aircraft that don't require an onboard pilot in order to operate.
The tiny, inexpensive FPV (first-person view) drone has proved to be one of the most potent weapons in this war, where conventional warplanes are relatively rare because of a dense concentration of anti-aircraft systems near front lines.
FPVs — originally designed for civilian racers — are controlled by pilots on the ground and often crashed into targets, laden with explosives.
The total cost of the drone's components, including an explosive warhead secured with cable ties, can be as little as $500 or less.
According to Reuters, the FPV drones take off from improvised platforms several kilometres from the front line. Depending on their size, battery and payload, range varies from 5 km to 20 km or more.
Both India and Pakistan had advanced their respective drone ecosystems in recent years, utilising both domestic manufacturing and imports from foreign allies.
India introduced the Drone Rules 2021 to simplify the regulatory landscape and pave the way for rapid innovation and deployment of drones. The Drone Shakti Mission in 2022 further catalysed the domestic ecosystem by encouraging start-ups, incubators, and public-private partnerships to build technologies across sectors, including defence, as per Observer Research Foundation (ORF). By mid-2024, India had inducted between 2,000 and 2,500 drones into its fleet, with the total expenditure ranging from $ 361.45 million to $421.69 million.
India's drone fleet primarily consists of Israeli-made reconnaissance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) such as the IAI Searcher and Heron, along with loitering munitions like the Harpy and Harop. A major milestone in India's strategic embrace of drones was a $4 billion deal to acquire 31 MQ-9B Predator drones from the US.
India has several indigenous drones such as the Nagastra-1 suicide drone, Rustom-2 medium altitude long endurance drone, and the Archer-NG armed tactical drone, all of which have demonstrated their technological capabilities.
India's integrated air defence system consists of L-70 anti-aircraft guns, Zu-23mm cannons, Schilka systems, and specialised counter-unmanned aerial systems (CUAS), which it has been using to intercept Pakistani drones. The S-400 missile defence system, among the most advanced in the world, was activated during the attacks on May 8 and 9.
Meanwhile, Pakistan developed its drone capabilities in 2009 manufacturing the Burraq drone under a licensing agreement with China.
How Drones Were Used Early On In History
Since their first use in the mid-1800s, drones have been used for photography, security, safety, and environmental applications. However, warfare is responsible for paving the way for the drone technologies we have today.
In 1915, Nikola Tesla wrote about unmanned aerial combat vehicles. The first attempt at a self-propelled drone as an aerial target was completed in 1916 by AM Low. It wasn't until World War I that the first pilotless torpedo was invented by the Dayton-Wright Airplane Company.
During World War II both Allied and German forces used drones to train aircraft gunners and aid in missions. After the end of World War II, drone developers began using jet engines in technologies like the Australian GAF Jindivik and the Model 10001, built for the US Navy by Beechcraft.
In the early 70s, Israel began using drones as decoys in the Yom Kippur War. It was during this same time that the United States officially confirmed that they had been using drones in Vietnam. According to the Armed Forces Journal International in 1982, the US stated that they had flown more than 3,435 drone missions during the war for both decoy and surveillance applications.
It was not until the 1980s and 90s, that the US military began heavily investing in the technology. The US Department of Defense awarded the AAI Corp and Israel-based Malat contracts in the 90s to develop more advanced drone technology, which resulted in more cost-efficient technologies.
In the mid-90s, the US government began The Predator programme, which resulted in the MQ-1 Predator, equipped with a Hellfire anti-tank missile on its wings. It paved the way to the MQ-9 Reaper in 2007. The Predator and Reaper drones are what most people today picture when they think of military drones.
First Published:
