With stress on aerial surveillance and reconnaissance to get real time picture of the battlefield, the Indian armed forces want at least 400 drones besides submarine launched remotely piloted aircraft.
Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs), including high energy lasers and high-powered microwaves with the ability to destroy enemy target and satellites, are also projected needs to boost offensive and defensive military capabilities.
These capability enhancement requirements are part of the modernisation plan up to the late 2020s and figured prominently in the recently released Defence Ministry’s document “Technology Perspective and Capability-Roadmap.” These future projects enable the Indian industry both private and public to improve their design and manufacturing capacities to cater to the needs of the armed forces.
“This roadmap may guide the industry in planning or initiating technology development, partnerships and production arrangements. While pursuing any development or collaboration, the Indian industry should accord due importance to the Government’s thrust towards ‘Make in India’,” the 82-page document said.
It also mentioned the Navy’s requirement for another aircraft carrier to boost maritime prowess. At present, the Navy has only one aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. Another ship INS Vikrant is in the last stages of manufacturing at Cochin Shipyard and will soon embark on sea trials. The proposed aircraft carrier mentioned in the roadmap document says the ship will serve the Navy for at least 40 years.
Highlighting the urgency to equip the armed forces with next generation unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones both for surveillance and hitting enemy targets, the document said the new drones will have longer period of staying in air, fly greater distance and take out targets. The armed forces, at present, have about 200 drones which act as major force-multipliers in modern-day warfare.
As regards remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) launched from submarines, the document noted the Army and Navy need at least 30 such platforms and said “the medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) combat RPA should have the capability to fly up to 30,000-feet altitude, with extended satellite communication ranges and endurance of more than 24 hours.” The drones should be capable of firing missiles at land and maritime targets from over 20-km away, it added.
Besides this requirement, the two Services also require 100-150 spy drones, with the Army also needing 55-70 stealth, 50 short-range and 30 hybrid RPAs. The Navy also wants 50 high-altitude, long endurance(HALE) drones that can be launched vertically from warships as well as 10 submarine-launched RPAs.
About Directed Energy Weapons (DEWS), the paper said the Army and IAF need at least 20 “tactical high-energy laser systems” with the capability to destroy small aerial targets, electronic warfare and radars systems at a range of six -eight km in Phase-I. The next phase will see the laser systems should have a range of over 20-km to take on “soft-skinned” vehicles and troops, satellites from ground and aerial platforms.
Source: The Pioneer