IAI Heron of an earlier design in flightAs part of the further expansion of the military presence in the Himalayan region, the Indian Armed Forces announced their readiness to deploy two Heron-Mk2 unmanned aerial vehicles here by the end of September 2022.
It is known that in 2021, the Indian army ordered four UAVs with SATCOM (satellite communications] support. Two of them were deployed in Leh, the capital of the Ladakh region, and two more UAVs are planned to be transferred to the Eastern Command by the end of September. Four UAVs were purchased from Israel Aircraft Industries and have more functionality than those drones that have been in service with the Indian army for a longer time. It is known that currently the Indian armed forces have at least 30 Israeli-made drones.
It is known that now the Indian military department is working on creating a separate staff of UAV operators. The corresponding proposal is currently under consideration at the headquarters of the ground forces. Previous events in Ladakh have demonstrated the importance of the use of drones in modern conditions.
According to an officer of the Indian military aviation, drones are now conducting round-the-clock surveillance at a distance of more than 300 kilometers. They are used to identify personnel, vehicles of a likely enemy, and intercept his messages. India also plans to use drones to work in the interests of strengthening the country's internal security. For example, they can be used to identify hidden positions of troops and illegal armed formations.
It is known that, in addition to the People's Liberation Army of China and the armed forces of Pakistan, India also considers as its opponents numerous insurgent formations that operate in the Himalayan region. We are talking about Islamist terrorist groups and insurgent groups of local ethnic groups that act from separatist positions and periodically attack Indian government and military facilities.
