New Delhi: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General MM Naravane asserted how the use of disruptive technologies like drones is going to become the future of warfare.
Participating in a Webinar he emphasised on the use of drones by Azerbaijan recently in Idlib and Armenia and said the offensive technology has challenged the traditional prima donnas: the tanks, the artillery and the dug in infantry.
Indicating that India is also enhancing its drone warfare capabilities, he referred to Indian Army showcasing swarm drone offensive striking multiple targets during the Army Day Parade last month.
Calling it a message to India’s adversaries he said, “The Indian Army is steadily inducting niche capabilities to enhance our combat proficiencies in Multi-Domain Operations (MDOs).”
He said swarm drones can overwhelm and effectively suppress an enemy’s air defence capability, creating windows of opportunities for strike elements. “It is also no longer necessary to score a physical hit to destroy a target. Offensive capabilities in the digital domain can effectively neutralise satellites and networks, denying them at critical juncture to decisively alter the course of the conflict,” he said.
General Naravane explained how disruptive technologies are now driving doctrinal cycles like never before. “It may not be inaccurate, therefore, to infer that technology itself is steadily emerging as a core combat capability,” he pointed out.
“Large platforms which were once the mainstay of 20th century battlefield: the main battle tanks, fighter aircraft and large surface combatants, have been rendered relatively less significant in the face of emerging battlefield challenges in newer domains,” the Indian Army Chief said.
Speaking of India’s adversaries and hinting at China, he said. “As we fixed our gaze on building core capacities in land, sea and air, they took the battle to the newer domains of space, cyber, and informatics.”
India has been looking at ramping up its drone capabilities and during the recent Aero India show several indigenous platforms were on display.
From striking deep behind the enemy lines without bringing pilots and fighter jets close to detection by radars to replacing mules with helicopter drones for providing ration to troops at icy heights in Ladakh, India is preparing for the next generation warfare building indigenous capacities for unmanned platforms.
Private Indian companies and public sector units are working on such platforms that will be the key in military combat in years to come.
Notably, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) unveiled a blueprint of its plans to bring in such platforms during the ongoing Aero India show in Bengaluru.
