In context of the weaponized MQ-9B Sky Guardian drone from the US, India has decided to upgrade its existing Israeli Heron drone fleet with satellite communication capability in an attempt to enhance its range as well as surveillance capabilities in the midst of the Ladakh military standoff with China.

Indian private sector and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), at the same time, got inspired by the face-off between the Indian Army and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to start manufacturing short-range tactical drones as well as anti-drone systems to boost border defences especially having an eye in the sky in the disputed regions.

According to officials involved in this matter, the three services have concluded that rather than the 22 reconnaissance and surveillance Sea Guardian drones approved in 2017 by the US administration for supply, India should opt for a weaponised drone.

MQ-9B of General Atomics has a 40-hour endurance with a maximum altitude of 40,000 feet. It has a carrying capacity of over 2.5 tonnes. It also includes air-to-surface missiles and laser-guided bombs. A South Block official requesting anonymity stated that India is in negotiations with the Trump administration, which is willing to provide India with the latest armed drone technology. In this regard, it is the prohibitive cost of the system that is a hurdle, not the Trump administration as added by the South Block official.

Moreover, India urged Israel to upgrade the communication links of its existing Heron medium-altitude, long-endurance surveillance drone. Presently, as there’s a shortage of satellite link in the Heron, with a time gap, two such unmanned aerial drones have to be flown in tandem so that information is relayed back to base through the second drone in case of long-range surveillance.

The upgrades refers to the fitting of the Heron drone with a satellite package so that the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) links with the satellite above and information is sent on a real-time basis. The upgrade is necessary for the Heron to conduct long-range surveillance. With upgradation of Heron, fear of losing contact with the base or going into no-contact zone would be less. The Heron upgrade program was approved by the defence ministry last month.

The drone revolution came into picture in the Indian military when India realized that it had no answer to Chinese armed drone and surveillance drone capabilities. The PLA had been deploying the unmanned devices in significant capacities in the Ladakh theatre apart from regular traditional sensors and surveillance cameras that provide advance warning on moves by the adversary.