Indian Homeland Security News and Updates

India developing solutions to deal with low intensity conflict

(Source - Express India)

Bangalore Defence Research and Development Organisation today said unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will play a key role in dealing with low intensity conflicts abetted by both internal elements and unfriendly neighbours.

“Our (India’s) great neighbours not being really friendly be it in the west (Pakistan) or in the north-east (China),” P S Krishnan, Director of Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a lab under DRDO, said.

In addition, he also touched upon internal challenges such as insurgency, militancy and naxal activities in parts of the state, all of which are grouped together as low intensity conflicts.

He was speaking at the 23rd national convention of aerospace engineers here.

Krishnan said one of the Chief Controllers of the DRDO had been specifically asked to look at low intensity conflicts and what solutions he can give.

“Obviously UAVs are going to play a very important role,” he said.

ADE is the only lab in India which looks at the full spectrum of UAVs. The focus is also on “Nishant surveillance and reconnaissance UAV” developed by India to counter low intensity conflicts, Krishnan said.

UAVs also play a key role in disaster and flood management, he said.

Stressing the importance of UAVs, Krishnan said they provide uninterrupted surveillance on areas of interest. Spy satellites provide episodic coverage of area of interest, whereas UAVs have high battlefield persistence, he said.

Referring to the recent crash of a Technology Demonstrator-1 of the Rs 1,000 crore Rustom medium altitude long endurance UAV programme during its inaugural flight, Krishnan said it was a reasonably successful flight.

“We had a good flight. We gained a lot from this. We were able to prove on-board flight control system and dual redundant system,” he said.

“Everything worked.... in terms of hardware and software,” he said, adding, the UAV, under development at ADE, “will be in the business of flying very soon”.

The remote-controlled TD-1 crashed into a coconut grove after the ‘pilot’ misjudged the altitude and erroneously gave an engine kill command during the flight near Hosur ten days ago. DRDO earlier said the TD-1’s engine was switched off from the ground command which caused the crash.