Army’s new anti-drone weapon — high-flying kites armed with camera

Tribune News Service

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, March 5

As a joint India-Japan Army team mimicked a raid during the “Dharma Guardian” exercise underway in Rajasthan, the Indian Army used a kite, a bird from the eagle family, trained for anti-drone and surveillance missions.

The kite flew overhead, providing real-time imagery and situational awareness to ground troops, who are part of the “Dharma Guardian” exercise being held in Rajasthan, officials said.

“Arjun” and “Deep” have been trained to intercept drones and provide live feed with a head-mounted camera system connected via secure communication to ground stations. The small, lightweight camera system attached to the heads of the birds for aerial surveillance represents a remarkable fusion of nature and technology.

It is difficult to combat dangerous combat drones that can launch airborne assaults in border and conflict zones. Birds possess the ability to navigate complex terrains, making them ideal for surveying remote or challenging areas. Additionally, their unobtrusive presence reduces the risk of detection by enemies. Conventional drones or aircraft are detectable by enemy radars.

The Army also used specially trained dogs during the “Dharma Guardian” exercise. The canines have been trained to assault, immobilise and even kill on handler’s command.

Assault dogs undergo rigorous training in varied scenarios and conditions to develop skillsets which make them invaluable assets for the military personnel in apprehension, jungle search, vehicle assault and other such scenarios. The Army also has explosive detection and mine detection dogs.

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