Indian Navy chief VR Chaudhary said, drones are becoming the favorite weapon of countries as well as other forces.
New Delhi:
Drones are becoming the favorite weapon of countries as well as other forces. Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhary said this to NDTV in a special interview. The Air Force Chief said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) is considering using drones not only for reconnaissance but also for attack.
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Air Chief Marshal Choudhary said, “Drones are now becoming the weapon of choice for both state and non-state actors (forces other than countries). We also realized the potential to engage drones in large numbers. Not only We use them for surveillance in the traditional role of reconnaissance, but also for some offensive missions.
He said that along with mainstreaming drones in offensive roles, air-defense capabilities will also have to be improved. Drones have shown their effectiveness in the war in Ukraine. Very cheap hardware can destroy very large targets.
Air Chief Marshal Choudhary said, “…when there is proliferation of drones in the subcontinent, we have plans to increase our air defense capabilities because now we face threats from small drones to hypersonic weapons. So We need to strengthen air defense networks and capabilities in equal measure.”
India is working to develop all types of drones from basic to complex machines. The Air Chief Marshal explained briefly about this process. Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and small private companies are working for their construction.
He pointed to the “Mehar Baba Competition” run by the Indian Air Force for Indian start-ups to develop swarm based drone systems.
Air Chief Marshal Choudhary said, “We got amazing results from the Mehar Baba competition and many small companies have developed. Many small industries that started making swarm drones have been able to meet the needs that we had anticipated at that time. “
He said, “I think this industry is really growing rapidly within our country. Most of it is in the private sector and on a small scale. We encourage all of them to come with their ideas and see how “How can we implement them into our larger operational plan.”
