Drones, armed with precision-guided weaponry for targets like enemy vehicles or groups of soldiers, are likely to be acquired by the Indian Army. These can have a range of 1-2 km and can be with infantry units in the future. With the technology easily available, they can be indigenously acquired, either from a government unit or even the private sector.
These are among the drones the Army is looking for. Some, of course, will be drones with different kinds of capabilities for surveillance and others are for moving logistics, especially in the mountains.
Besides, integrated counter-drone systems are on the agenda, keeping in mind repeated attempts by terrorists from across the Line of Control to send in weapons using drones. An Indian Air Force base has also been targeted. About a dozen could be purchased, also from Indian firms in the near future.
Also for the Army in Jammu and Kashmir are light bullet-proof vehicles, body-worn cameras and handheld thermal imagers. While the vehicles can provide security, the cameras can be particularly useful if soldiers are wearing them (they are about as big as a mobile phone) at sensitive places like checkpoints or during operations. The imagers are a necessary night-fighting device and will be useful for all Army outfits, everywhere.
While they are high-tech items, they are all locally available and this is a huge boost for the Atmanirbharata or indigenisation campaign. At this point, few if any ‘Buy Global’ items are being cleared
