Army tweaking wartime arsenal to tackle drones
Faced with new-age airborne threats such as drones, the Indian Army is tweaking its wartime arsenal to enhance its capability to track and neutralise them — an approach that has proven effective in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.
The Army’s dedicated Air Defence (AAD) units are responsible for tackling immediate airborne threats. To counter drone warfare, the AAD is inducting new guns capable of firing advanced smart ammunition, along with high-power microwave systems and laser-guided equipment to disable drones mid-air. This shift aligns with the Army’s push for indigenous equipment, marking a departure from its four-decade reliance on Russian-origin systems.
Lt Gen Sumer D’Cunha, Director General of Army Air Defence, said on Friday, “The future is drone warfare, and we are prepared with a counter-drone strategy. We are integrating artificial intelligence to differentiate between enemy and friendly drones in close-range battles.”
The first step is detection, for which additional low-level lightweight radars are being deployed, particularly in valley regions. These Bharat Electronics Limited-made radars can identify drones within a 6-7 km range.
Next, the Army is working to prevent enemy kamikaze drones from targeting these radars. The upgraded arsenal includes the capability to detect, jam and spoof drones.
The Army has successfully tested a laser beam capable of disabling drones from a distance of 1 km, with nine more such systems being added. The next step is acquiring high-power microwave weapons from Indian suppliers, as microwaves can disable drone electronics.
Meanwhile, Russian-origin L70 and ZU-23 guns will be equipped with a new type of fragmentation ammunition capable of targeting multiple drones simultaneously. The Army plans to acquire 220 more such guns, with trials expected within three months. Currently, the L70 and ZU-23 guns have an effective range of 3.5 km and 2.5 km, respectively.
The AAD is also working on new air defence weapons to protect infantry and armoured units. A quick-reaction surface-to-air missile (QRSAM), developed by DRDO, has been successfully tested and has a range of 30 km. “We are hoping to finalise a contract in four to five months,” Lt Gen D’Cunha said.
Additionally, the Army is seeking replacements for Russian-origin ‘Shilka’ and ‘Tunguska’ weapon systems. In the long-range category, the Akash missile system currently has three regiments, each with 12 launchers. The Army is seeking two more regiments to strengthen its air defence capabilities.
