Source : Times Now
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New Delhi: Drones and anti-drone systems, effective in recent conflicts are a part of the “emergency purchases,” the Indian Army is looking at, after the recent go-ahead by the Defence Acquisition Council or DAC , headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The emergency purchase rules allow the armed forces to buy items amounting up to Rs 300 crore in the ‘capital’ and Rs 500 crore in the ‘revenue’ categories, respectively.
This opportunity is being used to look at special modern weaponry, including drone systems. All the weapons being bought, the government has stipulated should be largely or entirely indigenous.
Different kinds of drones are being bought. They include:
* Drones that can work at high altitudes of about 14-15,000 feet. The ‘high altitude’ drones can be particularly effective in places like Ladakh where the Indian soldiers are still eyeball-to-eyeball with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.* Long-range drones that can fly for about 15 km as well as short-range versions.* Armed loitering drones are also being looked at. These include weaponry like the Harop , an Israeli product. The Indian Air Force has had the Harop for a decade, but a more modern ‘cannisterised’ kind of armed loitering drone is being looked at.* Jammers are also being looked at. This would be to jam enemy electronic warfare equipment and also, drones.
* Drones have cameras, but it is also important to look at photographs taken by them. Downlink equipment that can quickly recover photographs taken from aircraft and drones is being sought. This will help to quickly get an idea of where enemy positions are. Also, even if the drone fails to return, it would have already transmitted the photographs taken.
Among other equipment being purchased are bullet-proof jackets and helmets for the young officers and men on the ground fighting terrorism on the line of control. These are much-needed and high-quality bullet-proof jackets that are being made in India nowadays.
