Army conducts drone warfare drills in high-altitude terrains of Arunachal, Sikkim

Among those UAVs tested in high-altitude areas near the Chinese border in the Northeast are swarm drones, first-person view drones, and loitering munitions.

Update: 2024-12-07 05:52 GMT

Drills have been conducted in high-altitude areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in the eastern sector, and more are being planned.

Guwahati, Dec 7: As unprecedented use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the Russia-Ukraine war marks a shift in military conflict tactics, the Indian Army has ramped up its drone warfare drills and has been considerably expanding its drone arsenal.

Sources said drills have been conducted in high-altitude areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in the eastern sector, and more are being planned.

The Agnirath Brigade of Eastern Command recently conducted an extensive drill at a high-altitude location in the eastern sector. The indigenously assembled drones undertook various missions like precision strikes, payload drops, swarm drone team operations, and kamikaze strikes against static and mobile ground targets, a defence spokesman said.

Among those UAVs tested in high-altitude areas near the Chinese border in the Northeast are swarm drones, first-person view drones, and loitering munitions.

Swarm drones are a group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that work together to accomplish a specific goal, while an FPV drone is like a flying telepresence robot, enabling virtual presence wherever the device can fly, often in environments that a human could not physically access safely.

In a separate drill, the Brahmastra Corps—the first mountain strike corps of India—also used in-house-developed AI-enabled drone-based ingenious solutions to detect and neutralise unexploded shells of infantry mortars and artillery guns in battle inoculation exercises for cadets.

The army has also ramped up its drone procurements. Aviation tech firm Endure Air System recently announced the delivery of the one-of-a-kind Sabal 20 Logistics Drone to the Indian Army's eastern sector. Sabal 20 is an electric, unmanned helicopter based on variable pitch technology, designed specifically for aerial logistics, capable of carrying payloads of up to 20 km, equivalent to 50 percent of its weight, with scalable options for future requirements.


By-

Rituraj Borthakur

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