by Lt Gen H S Panag PVSM, AVSM (Retd)

The BSF this week noticed three drones alongside the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. That is the second time in a month that the BSF was placed on alert after drone-spotting. Two different incidents of ‘drone terrorism’ in September led the Ministry of House Affairs to challenge instructions to counter the menace.

The MHA, says a report in Hindustan Instances, wrote to the Delhi Police and the Central Industrial Safety Power (CISF) “ordering them to shoot at sight any “threat-possessing” drone or unmanned aerial car (UAV) throughout the airport perimeter, as per the usual working protocol (SOP)”.

And that is how the CISF, whose senior officer was quoted within the report, understood the order: “They are low-flying drones. There have been drone sightings at the Delhi airport earlier too, but we could never track down any of them as they were never captured by the radars. If a drone is about to collide with an aircraft or is spotted approaching any operational runway, our men have been authorised to shoot it down.”

‘Shoot’ With What?

Theoretically, it’s attainable to shoot down a small drone with an LMG/MMG firing at a excessive cyclic fee. However to deliver down a drone of lower than a metre size/width, which is flying at a velocity of 40-100 kph, will want a miracle. Extra so, when the usual of firing on static targets on the firing ranges barely makes the grade. Firing at cyclic fee will endanger the security of all plane within the air.

Surprisingly, there isn’t a speak on putting in drone-specific radars and Jammers or implementing different passive/lively counter-measures.

Additionally learn: India is utilising tons of of drones to map the nation in unimaginable element

Not Simply Some Other Menace

In my column in February this 12 months, I had warned in regards to the magnitude of the drone menace and India’s utter lack of preparation to cope with it.

I wrote – “It is a matter of time before terrorists use drones to launch attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast, the Red Corridor and the hinterland of the country. India is virtually defenceless against drone terrorism and is doing little to gear up despite warning signals from across the world.”

In the meantime, the drone incidents in India are piling up.

5 AK-47 rifles, 4 .30 Chinese language pistols, 544 rounds of ammunition and 5 satellite tv for pc telephones have been smuggled from Pakistan in September utilising drones with a payload of 10 kg. This in all chance was the handiwork of the ISI and the ‘Khalistani’ terrorists.

Since then, the BSF has reported many extra sightings with the newest being on the evening of 21 October, when the BSF is believed to have fired at three Pakistani drones in Hussainiwala, Punjab. Understanding the methods of our police and different safety companies, way more ‘drone activity’ is prone to have gone unreported.

On 14 September, drones and presumably cruise-missiles attacked two amenities of Saudi Aramco, affecting half of its oil manufacturing or 5-6 per cent of the worldwide oil manufacturing. Whether or not it was launched by Houthi rebels assisted by Iran or by Iran itself continues to be a matter of hypothesis.

Additionally learn: Drone attackers, spy-proof radio — non-public gamers line up hi-tech wares at Military assembly

The Right Way To Put Together For This Menace?

The very fact is that we’re defenceless towards the spectre of ‘drone terrorism’. There are an estimated six lakh rogue or unregulated drones in India, which can be utilised for drone-based terrorist missions. It’s a catastrophe ready to occur. Our ‘very low-density military air defence’ system is efficient solely towards large-sized drones. Regardless of a lot speak for the final three years, no fashionable tools has been purchased as a counter-measure.

The rules for Remotely Piloted Plane System (RPAS), efficient since 1 December 2018, are ‘effective’ solely on paper. The world-class drone ecosystem – ‘Sky Dome’— which is able to digitally management the motion of drones within the Indian airspace continues to be not in place. And with the variety of drones multiplying nearly every single day, monitoring them is a Herculean job. It might be prudent to put down a deadline after which drones not assembly sure circumstances is not going to fly. For my part, this course of is prone to take three to 5 years.

World-class counter-drone techniques that allow real-time neutralisation have to be imported to cater for fast wants. The police, right down to the native thanas, and the Central Armed Police Forces accountable for securing important installations and borders must be geared up on an pressing foundation. Safety forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations would additionally require the tools. The safety of even the non-public trade must be checked out. Holding in view our giant requirement, indigenous manufacturing of such drone techniques have to be began as quickly as attainable.

Additionally learn: Past sea and land, India’s subsequent defence problem is drone terrorism

Jihadi With An AK-47 Is Crossé

With Pakistan beneath diplomatic stress and the scrutiny of the Monetary Motion Activity Power, the standard Jihadi with an AK-47 or a suicide belt is passé. Drones are the best choice for future terrorist assaults. Drones not ruled by worldwide or country-specific rules will be simply smuggled or assembled. China shouldn’t be a signatory to the Missile Know-how Management Regime (MTCR) and is the main producer of drones.

I predict a drone-based terror assault in India within the close to future. It will be a disgrace if we now have to lean on nationalism to justify an avoidable safety failure.

Lt Gen H S Panag PVSM, AVSM (R) served within the Indian Military for 40 years