Aside from the much discussed acquisition of big conventional weapons by India, a silent accretion has been the fleet of reconnaissance and "killer" unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), specifically aimed at neutralizing threats from Pakistan, and possibly China in future.
Official sources have told Asia Times Online that if everything goes as planned, within the next two years India should possess a fleet of at least 25-30 attack UAVs compared to fewer than five now with such capabilities. Until now, India has never admitted to using the destroyer UAVs.
Latest reports suggest that some surveillance UAVs may be
deployed in Maoist-infested areas, following the deadly attack on Tuesday on paramilitary forces in Chhattisgarh that killed 75 security personnel.
The sources say that the moves to acquire attack UAVs gained momentum after the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008, with Indian defense commanders pressing for their procurement as they have been used by American in the Af-Pak region to very good effect.
It may be recalled that America's "war on terror" in Afghanistan and the frontier regions of Pakistan have involved remote-controlled attacks via satellite. Predators and Reaper UAVs equipped with Hellfire missiles have caused much damage and been used to assassinate known Taliban extremists.
India has been procuring unmanned drones since the India-Pakistan Kargil conflict in 1999, having inducted over 100 UAVs in the decade that followed. But these were mainly used for detecting incoming missile attacks or border incursions.
By: Brant
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