The Indian Army has leased four Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) from Israel as part of its emergency procurement programme. The Heron, with the Indian Army for some years, can be particularly effective in intelligence gathering as it is a long-endurance UAV and can be in the air for about 50 hours at a time.
The lease comes with the defence ministry changing the rules and allowing for the leasing of certain weapon systems. Similarly, the Navy has leased Predator drones from the United States.
The Herons apart, the Army has used its emergency powers to ensure that it has enough ammunition and spares for a two-week war, even if it is on two-fronts, high-level sources said. The emergency powers, given by the government in the wake of the situation in Ladakh, has allowed the army to get necessary spares and ammunition and also, strengthen its anti-tank weaponry and buy much needed anti-aircraft systems.
