Keeping a watchful ‘eye’ on the enemy
High on the wish list of military commanders in war-torn Afghanistan and Iraq, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are earning star status in the global war on terrorism. In India too, they are set to play a crucial role in meeting the requirements of the Indian armed forces—Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and paramilitary forces like Border Security Force—by keeping a watchful ‘eye’ on the enemy, outside as well as within the country. Their USP: UAVs are less expensive to operate than manned platforms, and can perhaps most importantly, conduct highly risky missions without risking human lives.
No wonder, global UAV makers, especially those from the US, France, UK and Israel, are wooing the defence establishment here to become key suppliers. Simultaneously, UAVs represent one of the key defence technologies in which India is developing indigenous expertise. No wonder, domestic defence majors like Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) are seeking overseas partners to collaborate and possibly co-produce these unmanned vehicles.
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an aircraft with no onboard pilot. UAVs can be remote controlled or fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans or more complex dynamic automation systems. They are currently used in a number of military roles, including reconnaissance and attack.
What makes UAVs invaluable is their ability to provide eyes in the sky for extended periods of time, beaming real-time images to the ground. Say officials in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), ‘’in the global war on terror, persistence is vitally important, as it is important to deny the enemy sanctuary. And constant surveillance in his backyard, so to speak, prevents him the opportunity to mass assets and forces. In the event the enemy does this, UAVs offer an additional capability beyond their traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance role. They are now demonstrating a strike capability as well.”
An instance could that be of the US Air Force’s Predator UAV, which earned its stripes flying reconnaissance missions in Bosnia. It showcased similar capability in Iraq and Afghanistan as well. In recent times, the Predator is credited with taking out one of Al Qaeda’s top lieutenants in Afghanistan with a Hellfire missile, and has since been used widely for offensive operations in Iraq. Even when unarmed, the Predator and other UAVs can identify targets so that other strike platforms, such as AC-130 Spectre gunships, can engage them more quickly and effectively.
The Predator is not the only UAV proving its value in this region. The wide variety of UAV systems in the militaries’ inventory around the world ensures that UAV technology is adaptable to the widest range of missions. The US military now has more than a dozen UAV systems in its inventory and is at work on several new ones, including the joint unmanned combat aerial system that will incorporate direct-strike capabilities and a rotary-wing UAV. At the other end of the spectrum, there is hand-launched Dragon Eye system already in use in Iraq that gives squad- or company-level leaders a snapshot of their operating area.
For India, UAVs represent one of the key defence technologies. And that is the reason for a lot of indigenous expertise that is being developed in this regard. Last year, BAE Systems took the wraps off the work it had secretly been doing on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Barely 12 months later, the UK-based company has offered its high endurance rapid technology insertion (HERTI) vehicle for Indian requirements over the next five to 10 years in land, coastal and even maritime roles, says Herman Claesen, the business development executive at BAE’s autonomous systems and future capability section. “India is one of the biggest operators of UAVs in the world,” he adds.
The unique selling point of the HERTI is the simplicity of the package. In this case, the ground station comprises of three boxes that take as much space as a large refrigerator. Three plasma televisions complete the picture. The UAV itself is a fully autonomous task-driven vehicle that does not need any manual control from the ground. It is fitted with wide field sensors and a single narrow one that allows for high-resolution close-ups, inform BAE executives.
While BAE intensifies its sales pitch here, the Israelis have history on their side as India is presently using UAVs, including the Heron and Searcher -2 vehicles, supplied by them. In the absence of airborne warning and control system aircraft, UAVs come to the rescue of the defence forces in Jammu and Kashmir, where glaciers prohibit the installation of radar. The Navy too has deployed Herons to monitor Pakistani naval activities in the Arabian Sea.
Looking at the demand for UAVS in the times to come, almost all the global UAV companies are wooing India. At present, the Indian Army has 12 ‘Nishant’ UAVs for reconnaissance and surveillance operations. The Indian Air Force has also expressed interest in acquiring the indigenously developed UAV.
Nishant, designed and developed by DRDO’s Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), has an endurance of over four hours with a 45 kg payload carrying capability. It also has an integrated sensor package that includes a 35mm mini pan camera.
Impressed by Hyderabad-based Speck Systems, the first and only private initiative of its kind in the country, the Army has invited the company for field trials of its product. The UAV, christened, Baaz, has a range of 10 km and can touch an altitude of 10 km. The aircraft is only 0.5 m long with a 1.5 m wingspan.
Also, HAL is scouting for overseas partners to collaborate and possibly co-produce unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Requests for information have been sent to more than a dozen aircraft manufacturers in France, Israel, Italy, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. A senior HAL executive says that UAVs will be crucial in meeting the needs of the armed forces and paramilitary forces.
UAVs can do what people can’t, or ideally, shouldn’t have to and are able to operate at long ranges and don’t tire or lose concentration as a human would over extended periods, particularly when operating in dangerous, high-stress environments.
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=158222
