INTRODUCTION

Remotely controlled drones has revolutionized the entire war zone and added a new dimension to the battle against international terrorism  and defence strategy. United States is the pioneer nation to have effectively used drone technology in its war against terrorism, especially to thwart its enemies in Middle East, lurking in Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan. The technology is amazing. Using spy satellites, now you can focus and zoom on a target  thousands of miles away with minute precision.You can even count his grey hair on his head with +/- 1 meter resolution. By using ‘Face recognition’ softwares you can identify the target person within nano-seconds. Then you can remotely direct a drone carrying lethal weapons and precision bombs, dot on, to the target with just a push of a weapon-release button. America had been able to eliminate a large no of deadly terrorists who were in their badly wanted list, by using drone technology, without spilling a single drop of America blood.
India also has seriously invested its energies in drone technology. DRDO had already developed few proto types. Initially DRDO made remote control target practicing drones called “Lakshya” for Indian Army’s Air Defence Missile Systems. Later DRDO graduated into making weapon releasing drones and spy -eyed drones for aerial surveillance and photography.
In the popular war movie, Uri- Surgical Strike, these spy  drones are shown in great details. In the futuristic wars and combats, it is believed that Drones will play a decisively major role.
An Alarming New Trend

Punjab police recently claimed that four persons arrested in Taran Taran belonged to Khalistan Zindabad Force ( KZF). They were tasked to revive militancy in Punjab by their handlers based in Pakistan and Germany . This does raise serious questions on Pakistan’s designs for Kartarpur Corridor — the final resting place of  First Sikh Guru , Nanak Dev ji. A connecting news emanating from Pakistan that  Army Chief Gen Bajwa used special army funds to speed up the renovations of Kartarpur Gurdwara, fuels our suspecions about the intentions of Pak Army. Punjab CM Capt Amrinder Singh also ,recently expressed his concerns about the ulterior motives of Pak initiative on Kartarpur Corridor.
What was intriguing about the arrest of these four KZF terrorists was a disclosure by the Punjab police that they had been supplied arms and ammunition through the use of DRONES . If so, it adds new dimension to Insurgency and “irregular warfare”. Drones is, therefore, becoming a most potent weapon of waging a modern war .
Use of drones for transfer of weapons from Pakistan to Jihadis in India is a new phenomenon. India has to pay serious attention to its Anti- access/ Area Defence (A2 AD).  Drones have great potential for multiple roles  of offence as well as defence.
Folks, link it with Saudi Arabia, Aramco Oil fields being attacked by Drones happened few months ago, allegedly launched  by Iran.   The drones  sneaked in undetected, despite BMD ( Ballistic Missile  Defence)  shield of USA, over these oil fields .The Patriot anti-missile system of USA has proved itself unworthy of preventing this drone attack.

HOW DRONES OPERATE

One is interested in the prospect of the use of armed drones in a CI ( Counter Insurgency) Grid . Americans used the Drones effectively in Afghanistan and middle east, as we all know. They remote –  controlled them from a nondescript operation room in Nevada Desert – using LASER Designation by surveillance satellites to designate the targets. Low flying and using Nap of the Earth (NOE) flying, drones can approach inaccessible areas, designated through satellites or manually by secret agents . Surveillance drones can be used for gathering information .
They can be guided and even operated by “Stand Alone Elevated Platforms” such as helicopters and aircrafts. Elevated platforms could be 3-4 Kms away from target areas , thus immunising them from small arms fire of militants / insurgents / terrorists. They can also be guided from the ground by a laser designator . Drones can thus turn the tables on, even the most deadly  insurgents .
India also can effectively deploy drones in  hostile terrains, POK terrorist training camps and Naxalite prone areas of Andhra , Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh , MP, Bengal. This can save precious lives of our  security forces .
Even in a conventional skirmishes along the borders / Line of Control ( LC) drones can play an important role in A2 AD of the conflict regions . A2AD can be defined as the ‘denial of a wide geographical area to enemy penetration through the layering of multiple military strike capabilities, including Air Defence, Counter-Maritime, Electro-Magnetic and long-range precision fires’.  Ballistic and cruise missiles form a central part of any modern A2AD. Electric Warfare is the futuristic game plan to win a war decisively. The drones would also support the IBG  (Integrated Battle Group) doctrine of the Indian Army on a nuclear battle field .
The new SWARM technology adds multiple target handling capability to drones .The Swarm technology intends to use a number of micro drones released like a cloud from a flying platform, each micro sized drone programmed to find its own pre-designated target and destroy. India needs to heavily invest in  research and development of  its own “New Generation Deep Penetration Drones”(NGDP) . Modern technology is aimed at making drones self-target seekers and destroyers.

CONCLUSION

When Pakistan is giving us veiled threats of a nuclear war, it is vital for India to hone Drone Technology to counter a nuke attack, by fool-proof surveillance and sound measures to neutralize enemy weapon delivery systems. The drones will add new dimension to India’s  ‘Cold Start Doctrine’ ( CSD) of the Military. It has the potential to  make “Full Spectrum Deterrence” (FSD) of the enemy totally ineffective .
Drones would also gel with the newly formulated IBG doctrine of  the Indian army. It would also cure LC / LAC mentality of Indian armed forces where , it swarms its borders / LC , inch by inch  so as to check its enemies . Enmeshed with electronic sensors ; Under Ground Sensors(UGS)  and radars , drones can replace the troops on ground. Drones are ready to take on the skies of the futuristic war zones of the sub-continent. Human lives are precious.

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