The South Asian country that will be ahead in drone technology and tactics will be able to establish dominance in the region’s contested skies. Because drones are capable of not only seeing, but also attacking and changing the course of the war.
The world witnessed its first drone war between India and Pakistan. Last Thursday, India alleged that Pakistan had launched drone and missile attacks on its territory and three military bases in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad denied the allegations.
Pakistan claimed that it had shot down 25 Indian drones in the last few hours. However, Delhi has not said anything about this.
According to experts, this counterattack has opened a dangerous new chapter in the long-standing conflict between the two countries. Where both sides are using not only ammunition, but also unmanned weapons like drones.
As the United States and other world powers call for restraint, the South Asian region is on the brink of a dangerous escalation, with drones, a silent, remote-controlled and deniable weapon, opening a new chapter in the Indo-Pakistan conflict.
“The India-Pakistan conflict is entering a drone era where this ‘invisible eye’ and unmanned precision can either increase or reduce tensions. Therefore, the South Asian country that is ahead in drone technology and tactics will be able to establish dominance in the region’s contested skies. Because drones are not only able to see, but also attack and turn the tide of the war,” said Zahara Maticek, a professor at the US Naval War College.
Pakistan claims that 36 people have been killed and 57 others injured in Indian air strikes and cross-border firing since Wednesday morning in Pakistan and Kashmir. On the other hand, the Indian army said that at least 16 civilians were killed in Pakistani shelling. India says its attack was in retaliation for the deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Kashmir last month. Pakistan, however, has denied any connection to the Pahalgam attack.
The South Asian country that is ahead in drone technology and tactics will be able to establish dominance in the region’s contested skies. Because drones are not only able to see, but also attack and turn the tide of war.
The Pakistani army announced on Thursday that it had shot down 25 Indian drones in various cities including Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. These were Israeli-made Harp drones. They were repelled using technology and weapons. India also claimed that it had disabled several Pakistani air defense radars and systems. Including one in Lahore. However, Islamabad denied this.
Laser-guided missiles, bombs, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become very important weapons in modern warfare. Because they have significantly increased the accuracy and effectiveness of military operations. Drones can identify enemy positions for air strikes. And some drones are designed to help them target themselves quickly and accurately.
‘In the past, drones were used to weaken or confuse enemy air defenses. They entered the enemy’s airspace and activated the radar there, so that that radar could be destroyed with weapons such as drones or radar-destroying special missiles. Ukraine and Russia are using this very tactic in their wars. Drones are now very powerful for both purposes, namely, determining the target of the attack on the one hand and activating the enemy’s defense system on the other. Because it does not require a pilot and is also less risky.’
What is the capacity of drones? Experts say that the basis of India’s drone fleet is Israeli-made surveillance UAVs; such as IAI Searcher and Heron. There are also Harpy and Harp loitering munitions. These are capable of automatic surveillance and precision strikes. The Harp drone is capable of precision strikes on particularly important targets.
According to experts, the Heron is India’s ‘eyes of high-altitude surveillance’, which is effective in both peace and wartime. The IAI Searcher Mk II is a drone designed for frontline operations, which can fly for 18 hours, travel up to 300 kilometers and reach an altitude of 7,000 meters (23,000 feet).
According to experts, the retaliatory attack has opened a dangerous new chapter in the long-standing conflict between the two countries, where both sides are using not only ammunition but also unmanned weapons like drones on their volatile border.
Although many believe that the number of Indian drones is still limited. But recently, India is buying 31 MQ-9B Predator drones from the United States through a $4 billion deal. They can fly for up to 40 hours and reach an altitude of 40,000 feet, which is a huge change in India’s strike capabilities.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s drone fleet is “vast and diverse,” said Lahore-based defense analyst Ijaz Haider.
Ijaz said Pakistan has “more than a thousand drones” in its arsenal, including Chinese, Turkish and domestically produced
he group said the Air Force has been using unmanned drones in its operations for almost a year. Their main goal is to create a ‘wingman’ that can work properly with manned warheads.
Israel’s technology support for the Pratcher Me Dreulerker, the Harpogat and Hiron are playing a very important role in the policy, and documents on the Hiron Turkish platform indicate its desire to arm.
The Navy has thousands of drones, including Chinese, Turkish and domestically produced models. Many of the drones include the CH-4, the Turkish Beroktar Akunji Khan’s Borak and Shahpar drones. The country has also developed loitering weapons, which have the ability to attack computers.
The use of drones in the ongoing conflict between India and the United States is currently a hot topic, unlike the Russia-Ukraine war. Drones are used there for surveillance, targeting and attack. At the same time, many people still analyze drone warfare as not being large or widespread.
Defense analyst Manoj Joshi said, “By using drones, a relatively low-level alternative has been adopted instead of fighter jets or heavy artillery. Drone weapons are less expensive to fight. So in a sense it is a restrained step. But if it is operated with the help of large aircraft, then everything will be fine. “
As you know, ISdrones are based on many basic, surveillance UAVs built by Raval; such as IAI Searcher and Heron. There are also Harpy and Harp loitering munitions. They can automatically conduct surveillance and operate accurately. Harp drones can see especially important targets accurately.
Thinks that the drones represented by Netanyahu in Jammu are a local ‘response response, which is not a full-fledged retaliation (to Pastaki). ‘
The drone war we are witnessing will not last long, it may just be the beginning of a larger conflict, says Manoj Joshi.
He added, ‘This is a sign of de-escalation, or an explosion of tension. Both paths are open now. We are at a crossroads, it is uncertain which way to go.’
