Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are entering the inventories of military forces the world over in increasing types and numbers. The Indian armed forces have also been reflecting this trend for over a decade now. As with all new technological innovations, there has been considerable hyperbole surrounding UAVs with proponents heralding them as the ultimate tool of military air power of the future. On the other hand, detractors including a sizeable number of military aviators, are convinced that they can never be substituted for manned military aircraft except in very limited roles and situations.

History of Development

The history of UAV development has many parallels with that of the evolution of military aviation. Tactical reconnaissance was historically the first role of military aviation, followed by air-to-surface strike, air combat, strategic bombing and military airlift. True UAVs began to enter combat operations during the Vietnam War for gathering tactical intelligence information especially over North Vietnam with its very dense air defence environment. It is reported that UAVs flew over 3,400 missions and lost 550 plus machines in all. This was the first and probably the only sustained employment till date of UAVs in hostile air defence environment and could be a pointer to their survivability in a modern air defence environment.

Israel’s offensive against the Syrian Air Force in 1982 changed the perception that UAVs were expensive toys. UAVs operated in real-time video reconnaissance, decoy and electronic jammer roles. Soviet Naval Aviation’s land-based heavy bombers carried drones for decoy and radar jamming tasks. UAVs saw use in both the wars in Iraq and in the Balkans, albeit in less lethal and degraded air defence environments. In Afghanistan, UAVs have been used in the air-to-ground strike role, operating in a virtual threat-free air defence environment. As a point of interest, the UAVs role in Afghanistan is similar to the role of the Royal Air Force fighters in the 1930s and early 1940s, in the same area!

UAVs are now employed in a variety of roles such as decoy, jamming, reconnaissance and surveillance. These platforms are also being employed as air-to-ground strike platforms, usually armed with precision-guided munitions (PGMs). UAVs seem to be well on their way to replacing manned aircraft in the reconnaissance roles, from tree-top level operations to geosynchronous orbits in deep space. Reconnaissance tasks at lower altitudes are increasingly being assigned to UAVs, especially in peacetime.

UAVs and the Indian armed forces

The Indian armed forces began inducting UAVs over a decade ago as reconnaissance and surveillance platforms. Initial platforms were procured from foreign sources and were generally based on developments of target drones. Local development has also taken the same route. The Indian Air Force (IAF), the Indian Navy and the Indian Army now operate UAVs in significant numbers with the paramilitary forces following suit. Israel has been the main supplier of UAVs to India by way of the Searcher and Heron variants for surveillance and reconnaissance. The Israeli Harop unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) is the first combat platform acquired by India with air-to-ground attack and loiter capabilities. It destroys the selected target by diving into it, a “Kamikaze” UAV.

The Searcher UAV is a lightweight platform of 1980s design with a payload capacity of around 70 kg. It is reported to have an endurance of 18 hours, top speed of 200 kmph and a ceiling of 6.1 km. This platform has limitations, as owing to its limited ceiling, it cannot effectively operate over the Northern frontiers of the country. The sensor fit is limited by payload constraints. At best it is a short-range border or coastal surveillance platform in low threat or peacetime scenarios. Of 1994 vintage, the Heron is a bigger platform with 250 kg payload capacity, top speed of just over 200 kmph, 10.5 km ceiling and reported 50 hours of endurance. It has the capability to operate over high mountaineous terrain of North India.

An improved variant, the Heron 2 or Eitan, developed in 2004, with a one tonne payload, 370 kmph top speed, long-range, 14 km ceiling and endurance reported at 70 hours, is what is soon to be the likely induction into the IAF. This system offers far greater operational flexibility and can certainly carry smart weapons in some numbers.

The locally developed UAVs in service are all lightweight ones. The larger UAV assets in the inventory of the Indian armed forces fall in the category of medium-altitude long endurance (MALE) platforms. India does not have any high-altitude long endurance (HALE) assets. The Harop is more of a loitering smart munitions system than a UCAV since it is limited to a single attack. Developed in the mid-2000s by Israel, it has a speed of around 200 kmph, range of 1,000 km, endurance of six hours and a warhead of 23 kg. It does not appear to be a cost-effective proposition except against very high value targets because of its one time use constraint. It cannot take out large or hardened targets due to its small size, small warhead and comparatively low impact speed. As of now, it is the only unmanned platform with a weapon capability. Micro UAVs are ideal for gathering tactical intelligence at the field level and for surveillance of important installations. These have been increasingly adopted for use by armed forces and paramilitary forces. There is considerable research and development (R&D) going on in this area in the private sector in India.

None of the UAVs in India have any stealth features. All of these are slow when compared to manned aircraft and have smaller payload capabilities. Endurance figures will reduce drastically when carrying more than bare minimum payloads. Situational awareness of remotely positioned controllers is certainly less than that of pilots in the cockpit of a manned aircraft. The present generation of larger UAVs optimised for low speeds and long-endurance at an altitude have poor handling characteristics during take-off and in gusty wind conditions. Barring the micro and some smaller UAVs, all others require ground infrastructure comparable to those for manned aircraft. Where they outperform manned aircraft is in much longer endurance/loiter times. Their survivability in hostile airspace faced with modern air defence systems has really been tested in combat only over North Vietnam more than 40 years ago.

Future Trends

Weaponisation of UAVs with PGMs for air-to-surface and air-to-air combat is certain. Larger and faster platforms with ceilings extending to the fringes of space, supersonic dash speeds, endurance of the order of days and payload capabilities matching manned combat aircraft will become a reality within a decade. With increasing lethality of ground based air defence weapons, UAVs or manned aircraft with long-range standoff PGMs will probably become the only viable option for operations such as direct air support of surface forces. For survival, stealth capabilities of UAVs will have to improve considerably. The Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) own AURA stealth UCAV programme is in the process of addressing these needs. High-altitude long-endurance (HALE) platforms, already in service with the US forces, will join the inventories of other prominent military powers.

The US Navy has already started aircraft carries integration trials with UAVs. Israel among other nations has started designing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAVs. Large UAVs of the size of big commercial jet aircraft are in the design stages. Use of solar and other exotic power sources are in the testing stages. Prohibitive costs of manned combat aircraft may well result in the F-35 and the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) class of fighters being the last of the big manned combat aircraft projects.

The biggest breakthroughs will be in sensors and control systems with artificial intelligence. Rapid advances in electronics have already made satellite and inertial navigation a reality even in ordinary cell phones. Smaller and more powerful sensors will enhance UAV capabilities.

The Indian Scenario

At present India is in a vulnerable situation with near total dependence on Israel since other nations seem reluctant to part with this technology, almost mirroring our over dependence on the USSR for military aircraft a few decades ago. The only option is to accelerate in-house development. There is a need to develop and acquire larger UAVs with enhanced performance, better sensors, payloads and weapons.

With well armed neighbours, long land and sea borders, a large area of interest in the surrounding oceans and difficult terrain along the land borders, India is vulnerable to military and terrorist threats. Surveillance is a high priority requirement and UAVs by their very nature make good surveillance platforms. Most of our UAV assets are engaged in border and maritime surveillance. India will have to induct many more platforms to meet peacetime surveillance needs alone.

Command and control aspects as well as integration with manned aircraft are critical issues. Irrespective of who operates the platforms, centralised control is essential, more so in the case of UAVs since the on-board human element as a final safeguard is not there.

UAVs generate considerable data, most of it in real time. In a fluid tactical situation, this data is invaluable but is extremely time critical. Rapid dissemination to users is critical. The inter-organisational turf wars over UAV usage highlight the need for a proper doctrine to optimise the full potential of this system.