Drone Warfare (Space & Defence Sectors)
Drone Warfare (Space & Defence Sectors)
Why In News:
The urgency around drone security in India's defence architecture has heightened, particularly following the experiences of conflicts involving Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Palestine.
The Drone Revolution in Modern Warfare
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): Drones are aircraft operated without a human pilot on board. They range from small commercial drones (quadcopters) to large military UAVs.
Categories of Military Drones:
(1) MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) - for surveillance and strikes- UAVs that have the capability to fly over 30 hours at a maximum altitude of at least 35,000 feet.
(2) HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance) - like Global Hawk- UAV that flies at a low speed at an altitude of 15–20 km;
(3) Loitering Munitions (Kamikaze drones) - autonomous one-way attack drones;
(4) Swarm Drones - a group of drones(typically quadcopters or fixed wings) that collaboratively use decentralised or semi-centralised intelligence.
India's Drone Ecosystem: India released the Drone Rules 2021. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Drones was launched in 2021.
India aims to become a global drone hub by 2030 under the Drone Shakti initiative.
Key Facts for Prelims
Drone Rules 2021: Introduced a digital sky platform, classification of drones by weight (Nano, Micro, Small, Medium, Large), and a no-permission-no-takeoff (NPNT) protocol.
DRDO Anti-Drone System: India's Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed a Hard Kill System using laser-based weapons and a Soft Kill System using jammers.
Geofencing: A technology that creates virtual boundaries using GPS - restricting drone operations in designated No-Fly Zones (NFZ). Mandatory under Drone Rules 2021 near airports, sensitive areas, and military establishments.