The recent UAV attack on an Indian air force base in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has caused Indian officials to quickly acquire counter-UAV systems. The attack involved a small UAV dropping an improvised explosive device near a hangar, injuring two people. The accompanying excerpted articles report on which counter-UAV systems the Indian armed forces are acquiring and provide a look at how fast-track purchases continue to take place and the capabilities of the country’s defense industry in producing an indigenous system.
The article from India Today, an independent news magazine, reports that immediately after the attack, the air force sent out “a Request for Information (RFI) to seek responses from Indian companies.” The RFI included a few required specifications and the article notes that India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been developing “an anti-drone technology to detect, intercept and shoot down drones” that is currently undergoing trials.
The article from The Print, an independent English-language news website from India, reports that the Indian army “is in the process of procuring an unspecified number of anti-drone systems.” The article also mentions that “this fast track process was likely carried out under the provisions of the emergency procurement powers that were granted to the services last year by defence ministry” and that the “systems set to be procured by the Army will be different from the ones the Indian Air Force sought to buy recently.” Additionally, it is noted that officials want the system to “be suitable for deployment anywhere, particularly in high altitude areas and mountains.”
Lastly, the article from Globes, a daily newspaper in Israel, reports that “Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) ELTA Systems group has announced that it is delivering dozens of Drone Guard (CUAS) systems to a South Asian country in a deal worth tens of millions of dollars.” Many regional security analysts have pointed out that India is the most likely customer. Pakistan is the only other country in the region with a defense budget to make this kind of purchase, but it does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, let alone security cooperation. The article mentions that the purchase is for the “multi-sensor multilayer ELI-4030 Drone Guard system,” which is a relatively small system that is mounted on a tripod and can be set up or taken down quickly. Overall, the acquisitions show how quickly the Indian armed forces put a priority on defending against UAVs and that an indigenous
system will soon be available.
Defence sources said that these drones should be suitable for deployment anywhere, particularly in high altitude areas and mountains.
Source: Abhishek Bhalla, “IAF wants anti-drone systems with laser weapons to destroy UAVs,” India Today (an independent news magazine), 6 July 2021. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/iaf-wants-anti-drone-systems-with-laser-weapons-to-destroy-uavs-1824322-2021-07-06
…A day after the attack on June 27, the IAF floated a Request for Information (RFI) to seek responses from Indian companies…As per the RFI, the IAF would be deploying these systems at different air bases across the country.
…The RFI mentions that the systems should be equipped with Global Navigation Satellite Jammer System (GNSS) and Radio Frequency jammers as a soft kill option and Laser based Directed Energy Weapon (Laser-DEW) as a hard kill option to destroy the drones…
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an anti-drone technology to detect, intercept and shoot down drones…
“It has both soft kill and hard kill capabilities…Industry has already taken transfer of technology…” said DRDO Chairman G Sateesh Reddy speaking to media. He said the system has been developed and trials are on…
Source: Amrita Nayak Dutta, “Army to procure anti-drone systems as India scales up defences against new threats,” The Print (an independent English-language news website from India), 9 July 2021. https://theprint.in/defence/army-to-procure-anti-drone-systems-as-india-scales-updefences-against-new-threats/692214/
The Army is in the process of procuring an unspecified number of anti-drone systems that will detect and jam the communication and navigation signals of a hostile unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or spoof it…
According to the sources, the procurement process for the first set of anti-drone systems is at an advanced stage and an order is expected to be placed shortly…They added that this fast track process was likely carried out under the provisions of the emergency procurement powers that were granted to the services last year by defence ministry…
The anti-drone systems set to be procured by the Army will be different from the ones the Indian Air Force sought to buy recently…
Defence sources said that these drones should be suitable for deployment anywhere, particularly in high altitude areas and mountains…
Source: “IAI signs South Asian drone guard deal,” Globes (a daily newspaper in Israel), 4 July 2021. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-iai-signssouth-asian-drone-guard-deal-1001376939
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) ELTA Systems group has announced that it is delivering dozens of Drone Guard (CUAS) systems to a South Asian country in a deal worth tens of millions of dollars. The multi-sensor multi-layer ELI-4030 Drone Guard system is one of the world’s most battlefield proven systems with the ability to detect, classify, identify and defeat drone attacks…
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