Drone scare

The drone attack on Jammu’s IAF station on Sunday caught India’s security establishment off guard. This shouldn’t have been the case, considering that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as a potent threat in recent years in the country and across the world. The use of drones by cross-border operators to drop arms and drugs in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir is not uncommon. Terrorists have now taken things to the next level by dropping bombs through UAVs on one of India’s strategic installations. The timing of the attack — days after the PM’s meeting with J&K leaders — is also significant. Though there was no loss of life, the perpetrators’ message was loud and clear: it won’t be a one-off strike and the subsequent ones could be far worse in terms of the damage inflicted. Barely a day after the Jammu incident, Army troops spotted two drones hovering over the Ratnuchak-Kaluchak military area; they opened fire to force both of them to fly away.

The menace of drones had prompted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to come up with a set of requirements for these UAVs in 2018. Earlier this year, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation notified the Unmanned Aircraft System Rules, imposing strict compliance norms — right from the R&D stage. This regulatory mechanism, which demands rigorous implementation, must be backed by state-of-the-art anti-drone systems that can intercept and neutralise suspicious remote-controlled aerial platforms. Reliance on the alertness of soldiers to spot drones has its limitations. Technology has a big role to play to keep disruptive elements at bay. India can learn a lot from how other nations are dealing with the airborne intruders.

Drones have become a key component of modern warfare. Iran-backed militia are using UAVs to target US personnel and facilities in Iraq. Several cities of Saudi Arabia are facing drone attacks carried out by Yemen’s Houthi militia. Late last year, drones had helped Azerbaijan defeat Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. India needs to shed its traditionally reactive approach and opt for pre-emptive action. The challenge is to be well-equipped to prevent terrorists from spreading their wings.