The minister also said the value of defence exports in 2021-22 was Rs 12,815 crore while it was Rs 13,398 crore till March 6 in the current fiscal.

To a separate question, he said the modernisation of armed forces to meet future challenges is a continuous process based on the long-term integrated planning process.

“The annual acquisition plan is formulated annually based on inputs from the services and is based on identified threats and inter-service prioritisation and emerging technologies,” Bhatt said.

The minister said there has been a consistent increase in the share of the capital acquisition budget.

“An amount of Rs 1,24,408.66 crore has been earmarked for capital acquisitions in the financial year 2022-23, which has been increased to Rs 1,32,727 crore for the year 2023-24,” Bhatt said.

“Further, the DRDO has undertaken 50 mission mode and technology development projects worth Rs 23,722 crore in the last three years for development of indigenous weapons and technologies,” he said.

Replying to another query, Bhatt said the Indian Navy has opened all branches to women at graduate level entries. The branches are executive, engineering, electrical and education.

The number of women who have applied for recruitment under the executive branch is 3,941, the number for engineering wing is 360, electrical is 652 and 411 have applied for education wing.

The post Government sets Rs 1.75 lakh crore as target for defence manufacturing by 2025 appeared first on IMR.

“We’re in a situation where we have technological improvements. We used to dominate technology. That’s no longer the case. Hypersonic, clearly, China and India, Russia have advantages on it,” Senator Jack Reed, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said during a nomination hearing on 23 March according to an AFP report.

“We are about to emerge for the first time in the history of the world in a trilateral nuclear competition. No longer bilateral. The Soviet Union, the United States — no, it’s China, Russia, and the United States,” Senator Reed said and asked Dr William LaPlante, to be undersecretary of defence for acquisition and sustainment, how he intends to address these issues according to the report.

Dr LaPlante said that the target will be to get into the mainstream weapons systems as soon as possible. “These new technologies that you talked about. We do have a lot of initiatives over the last several years, thanks to this committee, using your authority to rapidly contract and to do prototypes. I think that’s very good,” AFP quoted him as saying.

“We got to get those capabilities rapidly into the weapons systems, and sometimes, bridge what they call the valley of death. So, I pledge to work with the programme officers to make it their job to do continuous upgrades of technology so we can get back into this race that you talked about.”

The post India, China and Russia ahead of US in hypersonic technology says top senator appeared first on IMR.

Cooled MWIR camera modules must be designed, tested, and manufactured to meet rigorous environment and reliability requirements. Recognizing that reliability and operational lifetime are predominantly determined by the lifetime of the cryocooler, Teledyne FLIR developed, tested, and manufactures the ruggedized, long-life, FL-100 linear cryocooler for its SWaP-optimized Neutrino MWIR camera modules. Based on lifetime tests and Weibull analysis, the MTTF of the Teledyne FLIR FL-100 cryocooler has increased to approximately 27,000 hours, significantly reducing the cost of ownership for systems using Neutrino.

The Neutrino MWIR camera portfolio continues to provide shortened time-to-market and reduced project risk with off-the-shelf design and delivery of high operating temperature (HOT) focal plane array (FPA) technology in 640×512 or 1280×1024 resolution. Teledyne FLIR can deliver high volumes of Neutrino, reducing supply chain risk of typically the most critical component in a high-level imaging system. The purpose-designed, factory-integrated continuous zoom (CZ) lenses and MWIR camera modules provide performance, cost, and schedule risk benefits unmatchable by other camera or lens suppliers.

Teledyne FLIR also provides highly-qualified technical services teams for integration support and expertise throughout the development and design cycle. Neutrino series are classified under US Department of Commerce jurisdiction as EAR 6A003.b.4.a and are not subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

To learn more about the entire Neutrino family of MWIR camera modules please visit www.flir.com/neutrino. For more information on the FL-100 and the importance of cryocoolers in infrared systems, please download the recently published Understanding Cryocooled Infrared System Reliability whitepaper from Teledyne FLIR.

The post Top Performing Neutrino MWIR Camera Modules by Teledyne FLIR appeared first on IMR.

The growing need for national security and surveillance during both day and night, adverse weather and limited visibility conditions has led to an increased demand of Night Vision Devices (NVDs). NVD is an optoelectronic device that allows the production of images in lighting conditions that are approaching total darkness. An image is the conversion of both visible light and near-infrared light to visible light. NVDs, are used to intensify human sight under very low light conditions and are apparently simple system constructed from three main blocks: optical objective, picture intensifier tube and ocular eyepiece.

There are several types of NVDs. Infrared imaging systems focus infrared light on a scene. Infrared is beyond the light spectrum visible to humans, so the beam itself is undetectable. Image-converting technology transforms the scene illuminated by the infrared into a visible image. Thermal imaging systems work in a similar way, converting the pattern of heat emitted by the objects into a visual image. The NVDs perfected for wartime use amplify images picked up in minimal light, such as starlight, into visible images. The view through a passive NVD may be from 20,000 to 50,000 times brighter than what the unaided eye could see.

NVD are frequently used by the armed forces and land law enforcement agencies, however, they are available for civilian usage as well. Most NVDs consist of optical components such as telescopic lenses or mirrors. Night vision devices contain an IR illuminator, which makes them an active NVD. There are different types of NVDs which are used by the armed forces. They could be classified by either the type or platform usage specific.

Classification by Type

Thermal imager (TI). Thermal imagers are a kind of thermographic camera that is usually used for firefighting. They are typically handheld but may be helmet-mounted as well. The construction of such cameras involves heat and water-resistant housing and contains five major components, i.e., optic systems, detector, amplifier, signal processing and display. This technology is further categorized into cooled and uncooled thermal imaging cameras.

Thermal imagers weapon night sight. This is completely passive infrared weapon sighting system that allows users to identify and detect heat signatures of individuals or objects in day, night, rainy or smoky conditions. An external flash infrared light source is not required. It is further categorized as monocular and binocular.

Laser based night sights. Laser range finder is a device which uses a laser beam to determine the distance to an object up a distance of about 20 kms. Laser designator is a laser light source used to select objects or installations to be attacked or destroyed in warfare.

Classification By usage

Land (Tank surveillance). Thermal Imaging Stand-Alone System is an advanced thermal imaging and fire control upgrade system which serves as a modular compact and stand-alone upgrade for many T-family tanks and features an advanced, high-performance thermal imaging system, with a digital ballistic computer, gunner and commander display. Thermal Imaging Fire Control System is a state-of-the-art, robust, compact, modular and a user-friendly gunner sight. It is a long-range system which is optimal for both day and night, stationary and on the move operations, designed for rapid and high-accuracy target engagement in all kinds of combat scenarios. It has an Eye-Safe Long-Range Laser Rangefinder and has integrated electronic control unit.

Sea (Marine platform surveillance). Night vision devices are used in naval ships and boats for surveillance and to assist in other activities. It helps navigate in all circumstances, detect other vessels, assist in overboard searches, to secure vessel in the harbour and at open water (anti-piracy) and give the user a good overview of what is happening in the dark. A thermal imaging camera is very effective in maritime environments.

Air (Aircraft and UAVs surveillance). Night vision devices are used by pilots, aircraft and UAVs. Few of them are:

•  EOIR Payload for MI-17 Helicopter – It is a day and night surveillance system which includes a daylight colour camera, a third generation 3-5 µm thermal imager, along with eye-safe laser rangefinder (ELRF), automatic video tracker, grip and display, video data recorder as well as command and control capabilities. It has a wide range of interfaces, enabling integration with various systems, such as computer and GPS.

• NVS 6-3XT Aviator Night Vision Imaging System – It enables the pilot to operate their aircrafts in the darkest environment, giving them clear visibility and facilitate them to navigate during take-off, landing and performing other operations. The adjustable eyepieces allow improvised eye relief up to 25 mm, which enable comfortable viewing, regardless of the eyepiece positioning.

• Night vision UAV-Thermal imager for the UAV ranges from upto 7.5km to about 40 Kms

• Individual surveillance (Passive night vision Binoculars/goggles).

Market Insights

The number of military equipment and vehicles with vision systems has increased significantly over the past few years. These multi-sensor electro-optical systems include thermal cameras and high-resolution color cameras. Many countries are focussing on retrofitting the existing equipment and vehicles with advanced EO/IR systems due to their limited defence budget for procurement of new platforms. Usage of unmanned systems such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is also contributing to the increasing share of NVDs in the defence market. Moreover, improved efficiency and accuracy of NVDs is increasing their use across various platforms.

The global military electro-optical and infrared systems market is projected to register a CAGR of 2.51%, reaching US$9,314.13 million by 2026. By platform, the air-based segment held the largest market share (54.26%) in 2020. The sea-based segment is expected to show the highest CAGR (2.67%) during the forecast period.

With rapid developments in the segment, the competition in this market is high. New entrants are also venturing into this segment owing to its profitability with latest technologies. Transfer of technology between players is enabling mutual growth.

With the focus on national security, most countries have provisions of several man portable, manned and unmanned platforms in their defence budgets. Many of these require NVDs / EO/IR sensors for patrolling, surveillance, reconnaissance, and search and rescue operations. Therefore, growing military budgets of countries across the globe, R&D in advanced infrared imaging technologies, to develop sensors that can provide high-resolution images (to locate and identify targets at much longer ranges than is possible with existing optical systems), need for better sensors to enhance situational awareness of the military personnel on the battlespace are some of the major driving factors of this market.

Simultaneously, various design challenges, technological constraints, supply chain risks, the evolving global crisis, and unprecedented factors, like the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, could affect the market negatively in the near future.

Integration of new technologies on existing systems is one of the main design and technical constraints. It also affects the interoperability of a wide range of technologies. For instance, the integration of EO/IR systems onboard an UAVs has given rise to some of the most advanced design challenges for developers. It also adds to the overall weight of the UAVs.

In order to have a competitive price for their products, the revenue stream of players in this segment is significantly affected due to low profit margins.

Many times, production cycles are also delayed due to prolonged shortage of critical components from major suppliers. Certain components such as sensors should also adhere to specific quality standards contributing to high prices and supply interruption risks.

The EO/IR market could be split into land-based, air-based and naval-based systems. The global market (in US$ m) for each of these is tabulated below:

Year       Land      Air          Naval

2020      1,519   4,348     2,145

2026      1,736     5,059     2,517

The Indian EO/IR market was US$600.98 m in 2020 and is projected to reach US$737.77 m by 2026. The Indian EO/IR market (in US$ m) across the three domains is tabulated below:

Year       Land      Air          Naval

2020      109        331        161

2026      132        406        199

NVDs in India

The Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap (TPCR) 2018 of India highlights, among others, special optical payloads for the army, long range electro-­optical sensors for the navy, and helmet mounted night vision devices for the air force. India’s Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun has a thermal imager that provides night vision facility to soldiers to observe and engage targets in total darkness and in the presence of smoke, dust, haze and light camouflage. Targets can be ranged accurately using the laser range finder of the main sight.

India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is involved in the development of NVDs. Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE), one of the laboratories under the Electronics and Communication Systems (ECS) cluster of DRDO, designs, develops and conducts research in optical and electro-optical instruments for the defence services. Its key products are Gap Measuring Device Mk III, electro-optical fire control system for armoured vehicles and naval ships, holographic sight, Helmet Mounted Thermal Imaging Camera (HMTIC), Multi-Purpose Reflex Weapon Sight (MRWS) Light Weight Portable Laser Target Designator for Indian Air Force and Commander’s TI for T-90 Tank. DRDO has also developed a portable dual-role EOCM laser system weighing 30kg which has an operational range of 2.5 km /suitable. It has a day/night sighting telescope target acquisition and can be used for both anti-sensor and dazzling applications.

Army Design Bureau (ADB) set up by the Indian Army to promote the production of home-grown weapons, especially using niche technologies has developed a helmet mounted AI-powered personalized night vision unit that warns soldiers of any unusual activity across regions with a restricted line of sight.  Along with the helmet, the companion wristband also vibrates when the unit picks up signs of any movement in the soldier’s proximity.

Ordnance Factory Dehradun (OFDUN), part of Indian Optel Limited (IOL), one of the seven newly formed defence company carved out of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) produces a wide range of electro-optics instruments and laser-based sighting systems for meeting the requirements of military, para-military and special armed forces. Its key products include Passive Night Sights for 12.7 mm AD gun, Passive Night Vision Goggles 102A, Driver’s Passive Night Periscope for T-55 Tank, Bino Night Vision Passive Cased 101A, Passive Night Sight for AK-47, Infantry passive night sights for the 5.56 mm INSAS rifle, and for the 84 mm.

BEL has been exporting products including electro optic systems and electro optic fire control systems amongst others to the USA, UK, Russia, Italy, Brazil, Germany, France, Israel, Indonesia, Honduras, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa and many other friendly countries. Segments like electro optic systems and electronic warfare and avionics systems, radars and weapon systems, communication and network centric systems, tank electronics, gun upgrades, shall act as growth drivers for BEL in the coming years.

The private industry in India is also involved in the design and development of NVDs. For instance, a well-established firm in Kanpur manufactures a highly advanced night vision and thermal that are compatible with a host of commercially available combat equipment. They can be mounted easily using existing mounting and attachment subsystems. Another firm based out of Bangalore manufactures II based Passive Night Vision Binoculars, II based passive night vision goggles, handheld TI sight (Uncooled Handheld Thermal Imaging Binocular). A private company headquartered at Hyderabad manufactures Night vision monocular, night vision binoculars, bi-ocular night vision devices, aviation night vision goggles, etc.

In July 2018, Rafael commissioned a US$9.88 million facility in Hyderabad for developing a wide range of advanced capabilities, like command control and guidance, electro-optics, remote weapon systems, precision guided munitions, and system engineering for system integration. In 2019, India placed an order for P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft, scheduled to be delivered to the Navy starting from May 2020. They sport the L-3 Communications Wescam MX-20HD digital Electro-Optical and Infrared (EO/IR) multi-spectral sensor turret, along with other specifications requested by the Indian Navy.

In 2019, Controp Precession Technologies partnered with BEL to supply a Ruggedized Day/Night Optronic sensor system for the Indian Armed Forces. These can be integrated into a host system, and it features a daylight CCD Camera and a ‘Thermal Imaging Camera’, with a continuous optical zoom lens. In 2020, Controp was contracted by DRDO, to supply the company’s iSKY-50HD Electro-Optical, and Infrared (EO/IR) system, to be employed in UAVs. The iSky-50HD system makes use of highly sensitive multi-spectral sensors that are gyro-stabilized and have advanced image processing capabilities, which make them helpful for a variety of airborne applications. The US administration approved the sale of the Integrated Air Defense Weapon Systems (IADWS) to India in 2020. The entire deal is valued around US$1.9 billion. A part of the deal were M4A1 rifles, 5.56 cartridges, EO/IR systems, and hand-held remote terminal. As part of another deal, Lockheed Marin will be supplying an electro-optical fire-control system to help India’s AH-64 Apache attack-helicopter’s crew to fire weapons accurately and navigate better in adverse weather and in the night.

In August 2021, the Indian Army initiated the indigenous upgrade of 811 of its licence built BMP-2/2K ‘Sarath’ infantry combat vehicles (ICVs) by equipping them with more powerful engines, night fighting capability and varied advanced systems. The Army despatched a project sanction order (PSO) to 12 domestic private and public sector companies – referred to as Development Agencies (DAs) – to produce a retrofitted prototype within 52 weeks (or by 31 July 2022) for user trials. The BMP-2 upgrade would be processed under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category of the DAP 2020. The projected ICV upgrade would include fitting them with more powerful engines to replace their present UTD20/2 300hp power packs, third-generation thermal imager-based gunner and panoramic sights, modern fire control systems and automatic target trackers. The retrofit would also encompass upgrading the platforms on-board weapon systems that include a 30mm 2A42 auto-canon with dual ammunition feeds, capable of firing 9M113 Konkurs wire-guided anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and a secondary coaxial 7.62x54mm machine gun.

In December 2021, the Defence Procurement Board (DPB) cleared the purchase of 29,760 image intensifiers worth Rs 1410 crore to go with the Sig Sauers.

The post Night Vision & Electro-optics Market Potential appeared first on IMR.

The Indian Army is making steady, yet significant strides in the field of emerging technology domains.

Quantum Lab

The Army, has established the Quantum Lab at Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), with support from the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) to spearhead research and training in this key developing field. Research undertaken by the Indian Army in the field of Quantum Technology will help leapfrog into next-generation communication and transform the current system of cryptography in the Indian Armed Forces to Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC). Key thrust areas are Quantum Key Distribution, Quantum Communication, Quantum Computing and Post Quantum Cryptography.

In October 2021, the ideation of Indian Army’s involvement in Electromagnetic (EM) Spectrum Operations had emerged at a seminar organised on EM Spectrum and National Security. Since then, Indian Army’s technology institutions have been encouraged to invest in AI, quantum and cyber domains.

Quantum key distribution, quantum computing, post quantum cryptography and quantum communication will be the key focus areas in the research. This research work is expected to transform the existing system of cryptography in the Indian armed forces to post quantum cryptography.

Artificial Intelligence Centre

The Army has several schemes underway on contemporary and emerging AI technologies. Apart from civil industry partnerships, an AI centre of excellence has been established at the Military College for Telecommunication Engineering in Mhow.

Application-oriented research in AI is also being conducted at two dedicated DRDO labs, Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) and DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory (DYSL)-AI, both at Bengaluru. Moreover, all DRDO system labs have started AI technology groups to introduce AI features in all products.

But with countries like the US and China galloping towards AI-driven warfare, there is widespread acceptance that much more needs to be done on this “disruptive technology” front to boost the combat capability and survivability of Indian forces.

“Improved situational awareness, fusion of sensors, faster decision-making, use of autonomous weapons, and integration of AI into every facet of warfare, will necessitate changes to war fighting doctrines, organisations and structures, training methodology and leadership. For militaries across the world as well as for us, this remains an ongoing challenge, and a work in progress,” Army chief Gen MM Naravane said at a seminar.

Cyber Warfare

Training on cyber warfare is being imparted through a state of art cyber range, and cyber security labs.

By undertaking a multi-stakeholder approach incorporating Academia (such as IITs), DRDO organisations, Research Institutes, Corporate firms, Startups and Industry players, this initiative is an apt example of Civil-Military fusion with ”Atmanirbhar Bharat” a key driving factor. Requisite timelines based objectives with adequate funding have been worked out for projects and progressive fielding of solutions in the Indian Army is expected on a fast track basis. .

”Hackathon’ on Emerging Technologies

The Indian Army conducted a first-of-its-kind ‘Hackathon’, on 1 October 2021 to 31 December 2021, giving a shot in the arm for proficiency and expertise in the use of emerging technologies, and to delineate the technological side of the armed force. The hackathon was conducted in the MCTE, Mhow under the overall guidance of the Army Training Command (ARTRAC).

The event was conducted from under the name of “Sainya Ranakshetram”, in collaboration with the Rashtriya Raksha University. The virtual event witnessed the participation of over 15,000 participants and comprised a number of challenges based on secure coding, software defined radio exploitation and cyber offensive skills.

Further, the main highlights of the event included participants competing with each other in cyberspace against simulated threats. Additionally, the event also hosted a plethora of training sessions and sessions by experts for the participants. Cyber enthusiasts from across India were the cynosure in the entire event.

Messaging Application

The Indian Army, on 23 December, launched a new messaging application called Army Secure IndiGeneous Messaging Application (ASIGMA) for in-house communication. ASIGMA has been developed entirely in-house by a team of officers of the Corps of Signals.

The new application is being deployed on the Army’s internal network as a replacement of Army Wide Area Network (AWAN) messaging application which has been in service for the past 15 years. ASIGMA has been fielded on Army-owned hardware and lends itself to lifetime support with future upgrades, it said.

The bespoke messaging application meets all futuristic user requirements and boasts of an enhanced user experience. It has a variety of contemporary features, including multi-level security, message prioritisation and tracking, dynamic global address book and various options to meet the Army’s requirements.

This future ready messaging application will meet real time data transfer and messaging requirements of the Army, especially in the backdrop of current geo political security environment and is in line with the government of India’s Make in India initiative.

The Indian Army has braced automation in a major way, especially after the COVID-19 outbreak, and is taking substantial steps towards paperless functioning.

The post Army Strides Into Emerging Technologies appeared first on IMR.

The Central Government approved the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and drone components on 15 September 2021. The PLI scheme comes as a follow-through of the liberalised Drone Rules, 2021 released by the Central Government on 25 August 2021. The PLI scheme and new drone rules are intended to catalyse super-normal growth in the upcoming drone sector.

Thanks to the new rules and the incentive scheme, the drones and drone components manufacturing industry may see an investment of over Rs 5,000 crore over the next three years. The annual sales turnover of the drone manufacturing industry may grow from Rs 60 crore in 2020-21 fold to over Rs 900 crore in FY 2023-24. The drone manufacturing industry is expected to generate over 10,000 direct jobs over the next three years.

Under the PLI scheme, the incentive for a manufacturer of drones and drone components will be 20 per cent of the value addition made by the company during the next three years. The value addition should be calculated as the annual sales revenue from drones and drone components (net of GST) minus the purchase cost (net of GST) of drone and drone components, it stated.

Top 15 Features of the PLI Scheme

1. The total amount allocated for the PLI scheme for drones and drone components is Rs 120 crore spread over three financial years. This amount is nearly double the combined turnover of all domestic drone manufacturers in FY 2020-21.
2. The incentive for a manufacturer of drones and drone components shall be as high as 20% of the value addition made.
3. The value addition shall be calculated as the annual sales revenue from drones and drone components (net of GST) minus the purchase cost (net of GST) of drone and drone components.
4. The Government, has agreed to keep the PLI rate constant at 20% for all three years, an exceptional treatment given only to the drone industry. In PLI schemes for other sectors, the PLI rate reduces every year.
5. The proposed tenure of the PLI scheme is three years starting in FY 2021-22. The PLI scheme will be extended or redrafted after studying its impact in consultation with the industry.
6. The Government has agreed to fix the minimum value addition norm at 40% of net sales for drones and drone components instead of 50%, another exceptional treatment given to the drone industry. This will allow widening the number of beneficiaries.
7. The PLI scheme covers a wide variety of drone components:
   a. Airframe, propulsion systems(engine and electric), power systems, batteries and associated components, launch and recovery systems;
   b. Inertial Measurement Unit, Inertial Navigation System, flight control module, ground control station and associated components;
   c. Communications systems (radio frequency, transponders, satellite-based etc.)
   d. Cameras, sensors, spraying systems and related payload etc.;
   e. ‘Detect and Avoid’ system, emergency recovery system, trackers etc. and other components critical for safety and security.
8. The list of eligible components may be expanded by the Government from time to time, as the drone technology evolves.
9. The Government has agreed to widen the coverage of the incentive scheme to include developers of drone-related IT products also.
10. The Government has kept the eligibility norm for MSME and startups in terms of annual sales turnover at a nominal level – INR 2 cr (for drones) and INR 50 lakhs (for drone components). This will allow widening the number of beneficiaries.
11. Eligibility norm for non-MSME companies in terms of annual sales turnover has been kept at INR 4 crore (for drones) and INR 1 crore (for drone components).
12. The incentive payable to a manufacturer of drones and drone components shall be simply one-fifth of her value addition.
13. PLI for a manufacturer shall be capped at 25% of total annual outlay. This will allow widening the number of beneficiaries.
14. In case a manufacturer fails to meet the threshold for the eligible value addition for a particular financial year, she will be allowed to claim the lost incentive in the subsequent year if she makes up the shortfall in the subsequent year.
15. The estimated payout is Rs 120 crore up to FY 2023-24.

Top 15 Features 0f Drone Rules, 2021 (Notified on 25 Aug 2021)

1. Based on a premise of trust and non-intrusive monitoring.
2. Several permissions and approvals abolished. Number of forms reduced from 25 to 5. Types of fee reduced from 72 to 4.
3. Digital sky platform being developed as a user-friendly online single-window system.
4. Interactive drone airspace map with green, yellow and red zones shall be displayed by 24 Sep 2021.
5. No permission required for operating drones in green zones.
6. Yellow zone, where ATC permission is required, has been reduced from 45 km to 12 km from the airport perimeter.
7. No remote pilot licence required for micro drones (for non-commercial use) and all nano drones.
8. No security clearance required before issuance of any registration or licence.
9. Coverage of drones under drone rules, 2021 increased from 300 kg to 500 kg. This will cover drone taxis also.
10. No restriction on foreign ownership in Indian drone companies.
11. No requirement of import clearance from DGCA.
12. Remote pilot licence to be issued by DGCA within 15 days of pilot receiving the remote pilot certificate from an authorised drone school.
13. Maximum penalty for violations reduced to INR 1 lakh. Was several lakhs earlier.
14. Drone corridors will be developed for cargo deliveries.
15. Drone promotion council to be set up by government with participation from academia, startups and other stakeholders.

Likely Impact

Drones offer tremendous benefits to almost all sectors of the economy. These include– agriculture, mining, infrastructure, surveillance, emergency response, transportation, geo-spatial mapping, defence, and law enforcement to name a few. Drones can be significant creators of employment and economic growth due to their reach, versatility, and ease of use, especially in India’s remote and inaccessible areas.

Given its traditional strengths in innovation, information technology, frugal engineering and its huge domestic demand, India has the potential of becoming a global drone hub by 2030.

The drone services industry (operations, logistics, data processing, traffic management etc.) is far bigger in scale. The drone services industry is expected to generate over five lakh jobs in three years.

The Indian drone industry will have a total turnover of up to Rs 15,000 crore by 2026 as the government has given a major boost to the sector with the PLI scheme, according to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

In the press briefing, on 15 September, he said, “With Drone Policy (Rules) and Drone PLI scheme, we have an aim that drone manufacturing companies in India should reach a turnover of Rs 900 crore in the coming three years.” Currently, Indian drone manufacturing companies have a turnover of approximately Rs 80 crore, he mentioned.

He said the three parts of the entire value chain in the drone sector are hardware (drone manufacturer), software and service delivery.

“If you combine turnover of all three parts of the drone sector, it is our estimate that by 2026, it will stand at USD 1.8 billion. This means that this industry will have a turnover of approximately Rs 12,000-Rs 15,000 crore by then,” he stated.

The post Drones Manufacturing Set to Grow appeared first on IMR.

The Akash Prime is a medium-range mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by the DRDO and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

The Akash SAM was developed to replace the Russian 2K12 Kub (SA-6 Gainful) missile system, currently in service. Like the Russian 2K12 Kub, it utilizes an integrated ramjet-rocket propulsion system, which, after initial rocket motor burnout, provides sustained thrust for the missile throughout its flight until interception.

In comparison to the existing Akash system, Akash Prime is equipped with an improved active radio-frequency (RF) seeker to further increase the accuracy. DRDO has also incorporated additions to make Akash Prime a more reliable performer under a low-temperature environment at higher altitudes.

The Indian Air Force has deployed Akash at its bases in Gwalior (Maharajpur AFS), Jalpaiguri (Hasimara AFS), Tezpur, Jorhat and Pune (Lohegaon AFS). Indian Army deployed Akash air defence system along Line of Actual Control in Ladakh as tension rose between India and China 2020 China–India skirmishes.

Earlier this year, DRDO tested the New Generation Akash Missile (Akash-NG). The missile was tested from a land-based platform with all weapon system elements.

Each battery of the Akash missile system consists of 4 launchers. Each launcher carries 3 missiles. Thus, there are always 12 missiles ready to be fired. Apart from these missiles each battery also carries loaders with extra missiles. The total number of missiles in each battery is 48. Each battery contains the main radar. This main radar is Rajendra Radar which is a 3D PESA radar. It provides command guidance to the missile. Each launcher is also equipped with its own fire control radar which works with the main radar and Battery Search Radar in a synchronized manner. All these systems are governed by Battery Command and Control Centre.

The Indian Air Force already operates 10 squadrons of Akash missile systems. Each squadron has two batteries and a total of 125 missiles each. The army has two operational regiments of the Akash system with 2000 missiles in total.

The first generation of Akash Prime missiles relied on the Rajendra Radars of their batteries for command guidance. That means that the missiles had no seeker of their own and were guided to the targets by the Rajendra radar throughout their trajectories. DRDO previously worked on Akash 1S variant with a radio frequency seeker for terminal guidance. Now, this Akash Prime variant is a further improved variant of the 1S variant. It is equipped with an improved indigenous RF seeker for terminal active radar homing. Previously the missile had a single-shot kill probability of 88%. Now with terminal guidance, it will increase even further making the missile deadlier.

The new system is optimized for low temperatures and higher altitudes. That means it is now more suitable to be deployed in Ladakh. All the components of the Akash systems can be mounted on BMP chassis if required. Thus, the system is highly mobile and can be deployed rapidly. In general, the components of the systems are mounted on BEML Tatra trucks.

Keeping China in mind this is a significant development as this system can be now deployed in harsh terrains like Ladakh. In 2020, there were reports that the Indian Army had deployed Akash SAMs in Ladakh during the standoff. But keeping the missiles battle-ready in such tough terrain is a difficult task. Moreover, Akash missiles are not packed in canisters which makes the maintenance even tougher.

Once inducted Akash Prime will be a crucial weapon for high altitude warfare. No additional infrastructure will be needed as it will be compatible with the current launchers and other components of its batteries. Akash Prime will play a crucial role in defending India’s airspace in future conflicts and standoffs in areas like Ladakh.

The post Akash Prime AD System Successfully Tested appeared first on IMR.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), on 8 September, cleared a nearly Rs 11,000 crore project of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) to develop six new Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft for the Indian Air Force, using Airbus jets bought from Air India.

The IAF inducted its first indigenously developed AEW&C system, mounted on a Brazilian Embraer-145 jet, in February 2017, beefing up its capability to detect enemy aircraft and missiles. The Netra AEW&C system was developed by the DRDO and has a range of around 200 km.

The new AEW&C system, most likely to be mounted on the Airbus A321 aircraft, is expected to be more advanced than the Netra system, the official said. Currently, two Netra systems are in service.

The IAF also operates three Israeli Phalcon airborne warning and control system (AWACS) mounted on Russian IL-76 heavy-lift planes. The system has a range of 400 km. The IAF needs more such systems to cover the eastern and western sectors during offensive operations.

The approval for the new AEW&C jets came at a time when government has sharpened its focus on promoting self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector and positioning itself as an exporter of military hardware.

AEW&C systems are covered under the ban imposed by the government on the import of 209 defence items that will be implemented progressively from 2021 to 2025.

The AEW&C can detect and track all flying objects in the sky, including incoming fighters, cruise missiles and drones, faster than ground-based radars. They can also act as an aerial control room for missions while also keeping track of ships out at sea.

The criticality of the AEW&C was felt during the aerial duel between India and Pakistan on 27 February 2019.

Pakistan, which has six Saab 2000 early warning aircraft besides four others, had taken advantage of IAF’s changeover of the ‘eye in the sky’, when launching the attack.

Floating Missile Test Range INS Anvesh Ready

Sea trials of India’s first floating missile test range (FTR), INS Anvesh, were set to begin in September with the ship expected to be commissioned November. Built by Cochin Shipyard and designed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the nearly 9000 tonne ship will be used to test missiles up to range of 1500 kilometers deep inside the Indian Ocean without the threat to population or sea traffic as well as land mass limitation.

India is expected to commission at least four ships in 2021 with ballistic missile tracking ship INS Dhruv being handed over to National Research Technical Organization (NTRO) on September 10. Stealth guided missile destroyer INS Vishakapatnam and diesel attack submarine INS Vela, fourth of the Kalvari class, will also be commissioned by the end of the year.

Once commissioned, the FTR INS Anvesh will bring futuristic missile projects up to speed as it will provide for a ready-made safety corridor without going through the tedious exercise of issuing NOTAMs to ships and aircraft flying in the area. While the DRDO missile testing site at Wheeler Island off Odisha is under the scanner of the adversaries, the FTR will also allow discreet testing of missiles and torpedoes 400 to 500 nautical miles into the sea.

While only a select group of nations operate FTRs, the DRDO has specific plans to use the vessel, equipped with electro-optical missile tracking, S-band radar tracking, telemetry devices apart from a launch pad, control and mission control center, for testing its phase II of Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) interceptor missiles. The phase II of the BMD envisages intercepting and destroying enemy missile up to range of 2000 kilometers by kinetic force with the FTR allowing live testing of the interdictor missiles and not computer simulations.

The FTR will also allow for live missile and torpedo firing by the Navy as well as surface-to-surface tactical missiles with the Indian Army.

DRDO Hands Over MRSAM System to IAF

In a significant boost to India’s defence capabilities, the first deliverable Firing Unit (FU) of the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) System was handed over to IAF in the presence of defence minister Rajnath Singh at Air Force Station, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan on 9 September 2021. During the event, DRDO and IAI officials demonstrated the capabilities of the MRSAM system, as part of the On-Site Acceptance Test (OSAT).

The MRSAM (IAF) is an advanced network-centric combat Air Defence System developed jointly by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in collaboration with the Indian industry comprising of private and public sectors including MSMEs.

The MRSAM system provides point and area air defence for ground assets against a wide range of threats including fighter aircraft, UAVs, helicopters, guided and unguided munitions, sub-sonic & supersonic cruise missiles etc. It is capable of engaging multiple targets at ranges up to 70 km in severe saturation scenarios. The missile is powered by an indigenously developed rocket motor and control system for achieving high manoeuvrability during the terminal phase.

ARCI High Quality Ceramics for TI and Personal Protection

International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) – an Autonomous Research and Development Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST), has succeeded in developing high-quality transparent ceramics developed for the first time in India which can be used in thermal imaging and personal protection equipment.

Indian researchers have developed transparent ceramics, reaching theoretical transparency through a technique called colloidal processing followed by simultaneous application of temperature and pressure, for the first time in India, the Ministry of Science & Technology stated.

The material can be used for thermal imaging applications, especially in harsh service conditions and personal protection systems such as, helmets, face shields, and goggles.

Researchers at the ARCI have produced magnesium aluminate spinel ceramics with colloidal processing followed by HIP technique which involves the simultaneous application of temperature and pressure.

Transparent ceramics is a new class of advanced materials with unique transparency and excellent mechanical properties. These materials can be designed not only for transparent to visible light but also for ultraviolet (UV), Infrared (IR), and Radiofrequency (RF), giving the opportunity for diverse applications.

Though produced by different countries globally, transparent ceramics are restricted in supply as they can be used for strategic applications. Though several attempts were made in the country, the transparent ceramics produced were either on a laboratory scale or low transparency. The currently developed process is able to produce the sizes usable for several applications and on a pilot scale.

With potential applications in infantry personal protection systems involving thermal imaging such as helmets, face shields, and goggles, these transparent ceramics developed in India is a step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat.

DRDO Pitches LCA Tejas, Akash Missiles, Arjun Tank at Russian Expo

DRDO participated in week-long international arms exhibition Army 2021 Expo in Moscow from August 22.

The weapons showcased by DRDO included Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) ‘ASTRA’, Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM)-NAG and HELINA, Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) ‘Akash’, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Tejas, Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C), Identification of Friend and Foe (IFF) technology, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), Joint Venture Protective Carbine (JVPC), Arjun Main Battle Tank MK1A, Rohini Radar, Air Defence Fire Control Radar (ADFCR)-Atulya Radar.

Rosoboronexport is offering India its whole range of small arms and light weapons, including assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, submachine guns, pistols, and grenade launchers.

The Indian Army has apparently shown keen interest in acquiring small arms such as the Kalashnikov AK-100 series, AK-200 series, AK-12, AK-15, and AK-19 assault rifles.

Along with these, KORD assault rifles, sniper rifles as well as machine guns — all manufactured by the Kalashnikov Concern and the Degtyarev Plant, part of the Rostec State Corporation, may also be picked by the Indian Army.

Rostec’s key holdings took part in the Forum: United Aircraft Corporation, Russian Helicopters, High-Precision Weapons, Uralvagonzavod, Techmash, Central Research Institute for Precision Machine Engineering, United Engine Corporation, Concern Radio Electronic Technologies (KRET), Technodinamika, Ruselectronics, Shvabe, and Avtomatika.

DRDO Develops Chaff Technology for Fighters

DRDO, on 19 August, said it had developed an advanced Chaff technology to safeguard the fighter aircraft of the Air Force against hostile radar threats.

“The IAF has started the process of induction of this technology after the completion of successful user trials,” a DRDO statement said. “The technology has been given to the industry for production in large quantities to meet the annual rolling requirement of the IAF,” it stated.

Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur, developed the advanced Chaff material and chaff cartridge-118/I in collaboration with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune, meeting the qualitative requirements of the IAF.

The DRDO said that in today’s electronic warfare, survivability of fighter aircraft was of prime concern because of advancement in modern radar threats. It explained that their survivability, Counter Measure Dispensing System (CMDS) was used that provides passive jamming against infrared and radar threats.

“Chaff is a critical defence technology used to protect fighter aircraft from hostile radar threats,” it noted, adding that the importance of this technology lay in the fact that very less quantity of chaff material deployed in the air acted as decoy to deflect enemy missiles for ensuring safety of the fighter aircraft.

The post DRDO News appeared first on IMR.

What may have started as a communal clash, soon escalated into a full scale conflict as Hamas and Islamic Jihad launched a fusillade of 2300 rockets and mortars at Israel. As expected, retaliation followed with Israel striking strongly with its Air Force and going primarily for command and control targets (house of head of Hamas, Chief engineer, Cyber warfare head and Commander of Rocket forces)with casualties on both sides. However, the number of fatalities in Israel were considerably less than expected, as the incoming rockets were intercepted by Israel`s Iron Dome Defence system. The Iron Dome was developed by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems in collaboration with Elta systems, which is famous for producing radars and missiles.

A decade since its first deployment in Beersheba, the Iron Dome has known to have intercepted some 4,300 rockets and missiles in several weather conditions with 90 per cent success rate as reported by various military sources and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems. The Iron Dome is an effective, multi mission, mobile, short range air defence system. The system was created to counter short range rockets and 155mm artillery shell threats with ranges up to 70km. The effectiveness of the system lies in reducing the collateral damage by strategically placing it in various locations, this as we know has proved successful against the recent attacks in the past week.

The Iron Dome is capable at detecting, analysing and intercepting threats, which also includes C-RAM, precision guided missiles, UAV`s, Cruise missiles and air breathing threats. The Iron Dome batteries include a radar system, a command system and three to four launchers. Each launcher carries twenty interceptor missiles. Other features of the system include, vertical launch interceptors, several steering fins for high mobility along with electro optics receptors, warhead and proximity fuse and compatibility with various radar and detection systems. I-Dome`s special war heads allow the projectile targets to be detonated in the air. After the target is detected and identified, the path of the rocket is analysed by the Iron dome radar monitors while the system’s BMC calculate the possible point of impact. Once the target is confirmed as the threat, the system commands the interceptors to be launched while detonating the target in a neutral area.

Currently, one unit of Iron Dome is priced at over $50 million while the cost to build one interceptor Tamir missile is $80,000. The rocket costs $1000 only. ELM 2084 MMR is a 3D AESA radar which functions in the S-band frequency. According to the radar’s manufacturer, the ELM 2084 has a target capacity of “up to 1100 targets for air surveillance purposes.” The ELM 2084 is also used as the fire control radar for Israel’s David Sling missile defence system.

The Israel Defence Ministry has used the Iron Dome for the protection of its Northern and Southern borders. It is also worth mentioning, Israel`s doctrine against high trajectory weapons is based on various kinds of defence, from active to passive defences, which involves the interception of rockets and missile by Iron Dome, David`s Sling, the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 miisiles. Recently, the Iron Dome system was tested in March 2021 in southern Israel and it had successfully performed at intercepting and destroying the existing and incoming threats.

The Iron Dome Defence system, background and its Development

Israel had seen many rocket attacks, from the shelling of Galilee pan handle towns in the 70`s to the second Lebanon war in 2006, following the consistent attacks from the Gaza strip. The constant threats appearing from the Hezbollah and the Hamas was a huge factor for the consideration of having an air defence system such as the Iron dome.

The development of the system was initiated in 2005 by Brig. Gen. Dr Danny Gold (Head of Defence Ministry`s Research and Development Unit), however the project received a favourable boost post the second Lebanon war in 2006 by the Israeli Government. By February 2007, Defence Minister Amir Peretz nominated Iron Dome as Israel’s defence against this short-range rocket threat. In early 2011, the final tests of the system were concluded. On March 28th 2011, the first battery was deployed to Beersheba, the second battery within a week was deployed to Ashkelon. On April 7th, 2011 the Iron Dome shot down its first incoming rocket from the Gaza strip. The first two batteries were initially funded by Israel alone.

In 2010, President Obama, recognizing the threats by Hezbollah and Hamas on the state of Israel, announced that he would provide 205 million dollars in his 2011 budget from the US congress to expedite the development of the Iron Dome. This was the first American investment in the Israeli project. By 2016, US committed $5 billion to its development costs. According to experts, a total of 13 Iron Dome batteries are required to defend the entire territory of Israel. Currently 10 batteries are deployed. Israel plans to increase them to 15 batteries in near future. In August 2019, the US Army decided to procure two Iron Dome batteries to augment its own short-range missile defence capabilities. 

Criticism of the Iron Dome defence system

Apart from Iron Dome, another system similar to it is owned by the United states – the Centurion System, which is based on Phalanx anti-ship missile defence system. The Centurion was used to intercept rockets and mortars at short-range using fast moving 20mm canon. It has served extensively in protecting US forces and assets in the Iraqi “Green Zone” under US command.

On the level of technology, several arguments had also erupted against the Iron dome

1.             The inability of the system to deal with very short-range targets, whose range may be less than 5-7km and also its inability to shoot down mortar shells.

2.             The critics argued, since the threats also included mortar shelling, the defence ministry should have favoured acquisition of already existing systems such as the Centurion and the Sky Guard (was proposed by Northrop Grumman based on the Nautilus tactical laser system. The development of the system is complete but remains non-operational)

3.             There is also a speculation that the Iron Dome system may face difficulty combating the rockets launched at flat trajectories.

4.             The cost of the interceptor missiles is high, use of two interceptor missiles on one target could also raise costs and difficulty for Israel to acquire more interceptor missiles in a prolonged conflict.

5.             Also, the system faces a “saturation point”, its inability to engage beyond a certain number of threats could lead to a defence breach. 

Operational Criticism

According to the Iron Dome developers, the defensive foot print of one battery extends up to 100 square kilometres, however its competitors believe it is far less. This would prove difficult to protect an entire population of a town or city, unless many batteries are deployed.

This would also cause many citizens to be evacuated to bunkers or shelters, while an extensive damage to the areas will be predictable. The purchase of the interceptors is also limited, so the decision to protect a select populations would have to be made. So, this poses the question if such an expensive defence system would be apt for Israel. The debate on whether to rely too much on the Iron Dome defence system vs focusing on simply protecting the strategic facilities is often raised. No doubt the Iron Dome is a tactical and technological success, but does it equate to leak – proof defense?

We must bear in mind, over the years Hezbollah has managed to acquire and improve the ranges of their missile systems. The weapons in their possession are statistically distributed as they are also expensive. Since it would defeat the purpose to attack strategic facilities as the damage would be negligible, the focus would be deviated to using them against waging terror on the civilians. However, the Iron Dome doesn’t give the option of securing the entire population.

 Hence the critics believe, deploying an active defence system for civilian protection would defeat the purpose as the system cannot protect all. Their suggestions have stressed on deploying the systems for protecting the strategic facilities, as it would be futile to prevent some damage no matter how negligible and which may be incurred by the country from the rocket attacks.

Iron Dome, IDF and defending the Offense

IDF security concept has relied consistently on their three pillars of “deterrence, early warning, and decisive battlefield victory (hachra’a in Hebrew)”. It has stringently followed an offensive tactic over defence tactics. By ensuring its strong offensive power it has deterred enemies from attacks and strengthening its advance intelligence networks, it has managed to detect early threats when deterrence fails.

The subject of defensive power made the talks in 1960`s, when Israel expressed its interest in procuring the Hawk surface-to-air missile system from the US. A stiff opposition was met at the highest bureaucratic and military ranks. Some military commanders accused this move as the agenda of the political lobbies to back away from offensive operations which may account to a sure shot victory or a fast affirmative decision. The other argument was to spend on planes which would serve the purpose of both offensive and defensive roles.

Eventually, 5 Hawk missile batteries were acquired and they proved to be cohesive to the existing offensive plan by protecting Israeli air force facilities, while maintaining the IAF deterrence and first strike capabilities.IDF BG (res.) Dr. Meir Finkel in his article, “Iron Dome – the New Maginot Line,” has laid a strong comparison between the defensive systems and the defensive fortifications line built by France in the 1930`s to ward off the Germans. The Maginot line had consumed about 6% of the French budget which took away the much-required funds for its offensive capabilities. Finkle stated the same can be applied in the context of the Iron dome, which would lead to “the creation of false security and the atrophy of the army’s offensive thinking”.

The concept of strong defence capability to strengthen the offense soon crept in post the Hezbollah`s success in maintaining Katyusha rocket attacks in the second Lebanon war in 2006. In 2007, the Meridor Committee on Israel’s National Security Doctrine integrated defence as the fourth pillar in their national security doctrine. This year the Israeli government approved Iron Dome as Israel’s answer against the short-range rockets.

Conclusion

Israel has come to be one of the first amongst the nations to use an anti-Rocket system to protect its civilian population and it certainly isn’t a surprise, given the number of attacks this nation has suffered. It is logical for Israel to invest extensively in the Iron Dome defence systems, but the quandary may arise when it may come to limiting the funds invested in its defensive ability without hurting the IDF’s offensive capabilities.

Looking at the range of the considerations to invest in the Iron Dome defence systems, it appears the decision to acquire the anti-rocket system was a smart one. Israel’s solution to the rockets attacks comes with a controversy but it is still regarded as a technological breakthrough, which Israel should be proud of. Israel’s defense in the latest round of casualties has been impressive and yet Israel has hit back hard with its Air power to hit the Hamas command and control and propaganda elements and imposed prohibitive costs.

The post Gaza Conflict and the Role of Iron Dome appeared first on IMR.

Undoubtedly, countries are investing large sums for R&D and procurement of the unmanned combat aerial systems (UCAS). The US Air Force received the prototype of the vehicle-mounted C-UAS – High-Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) in 2019. As per the Congressional Research Service paper of Jan 2021, the US Army as well as the US Navy, is working on the development of computer-enabled C-UAS products in collaboration with the Defense Digital Service. As per the Navy Technology news of 17 Mar 21, the US Navy is set to deploy the Optical Dazzling Interdictor, (ODIN) and the High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) in 2021. It took the delivery of HELIOS from Lockheed Martin for testing in January 2021. Lockheed Martin is also developing a 60kW laser weapon system combining multiple fiber lasers to counter drone attacks. Further, ICARUS system, a cyber solution to combat small drone threats, has also been developed.

The race to the swift has nations vying for leveraging the 5G spectrum, since the space to render effective counters to the UAS will vacillate across the electro-magnetic spectrum, utilizing both passive and offensive measures. The range includes radar systems, microwave weapons, jammers, directed energy weapons, swarms riding artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. The cocktail is indeed a heady mix, but it also reflects the lethal operating milieu that militaries will need to contend with in not too distant a future.

Transformational Technologies

Presently, the established means to neutralize UAS is by resorting to physical downing means. Millimeter wave (mmW) radar along with data fusion methods are considered promising trends in the future. Due to the low footprint and low collateral damage, Hacking and Spoofing have emerged as a promising negation solutions, though a package to develop mature scalable, modular and affordable solution is a while away.

AI and ML in the domain of C-UAS assists the human operator in the loop to overcome complexities of sheer volume and speed of an impending attack. The process combines data from multiple sensors and fuses output to be used collaboratively with available data. The database to train the algorithms for ML is extrapolated from existing radars. The decision matrix loop of an incoming attack is in seconds for the operator to detect, mitigate and neutralize the UAS. The dilemma lies in the threat assessment, which is eased by AI that helps improve quality and speed of decision-making.

To optimize the process from Detection to Strike, use of ‘Quantum Computing’ (QC) is also being envisaged. Though the concept is the nascent stage, as the method to leverage these ‘surge technologies’ by factoring life cycles and operationalizing paradigms is still being worked out. QC is considered ideal for detection of patterns and conjuring digital signatures.

What needs to be understood is that AI and ML is good to optimize processes (by training on the datasets to track/recognize the drones) and is ideal for detection; however, for initiating the Strike, the operator in the loop is mandated. This is to guard against cyber threat of a malware being introduced into the system that would generate algorithms, turning the weapon rogue. The scientific community is working on the intrigue of trying to ‘Program Common Sense’, as it were. The approach being adopted by countries on the throes of developing Counter-UAS technologies using AI and ML are:-

• Focusing on the ability to democratize data and use it to generate intelligence.

• Enhance decision making by assisting human operator in the extremely short time critical window.

• Develop infrastructure at the ‘Edge’ to transform data collected into intelligence/ insight.

The ultimate aim of the C-UAS philosophy is the safe integration of the UAS into the airspace. Methods of detection and mitigation overlap and are often combined to provide a more effective and layered capability.

Policy Basket

Whilst, technological advances in AI, QC and Robotics are transformative, they also pose considerable threats and risks regards ethics, privacy, security and sovereignty, that countries developing these technologies require factoring.

The policies for export of weapons-grade technology followed by China and Russia are fairly accommodative when compared to the control regimes that the US has bound itself by. The Conventional Arms Transfer (CAT) Policy, revised in 2018 aims to preserve U.S. national security, its economic security, strengthen strategic U.S. allies, and perpetuate the U.S. military’s technological edge in line with its other international trade policies. The International Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) to which Washington voluntarily adheres, provides a framework of understanding amongst states aimed at limiting the proliferation of missile technology with payload and range of the rockets and UAVs of at least 500 kgs and 300 kms, respectively.

Turkey joined the MTCR in 1997 but China does not participate in the initiative. US intends to institute reforms to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) that would provide a level playing field and allow it to compete with countries that diluted arms export restrictions, especially with respect to drone exports. The debate in the US rages between the aspects of diluted control for equivalence in the economic security and national security and the jury is still out with the Biden administration considering its pros and cons.

India promulgated the rules for UAS titled, “Unmanned Aerial Systems Rules-2021” on 12 Mar 2021. The rules list out the category of UAS and modalities for permits and licence applications and penalties for non-compliance. The civil aviation ministry has also promulgated the UAS National Traffic Management Policy spelling out the architecture, concept of operations and deployment plan for enabling UAS Traffic Management (UTM) ecosystem in India.

Doctrinal Precepts

India and the US have signed four significant foundational agreements reinforcing military cooperation. Progress made by the US in the UCAS domain will assist India leverage the development at some stage. According to Janes, India is the world’s third largest armed force and third largest defence spender after US and China. In the midst of a large military modernization drive, with the indigenous defence industrial bases having been put into motion with a corridor each in the Indian states of UP and Tamil Nadu, the Defence Acquisition Procedure-2020 classifies Capital Procurement under a new category – “Buy (Global – Manufacture in India)” – with minimum 50 per cent indigenous content. The UCAS from any of the Indian allies may be routed through this category.

The air and ground radar package must include low power, low signature KU-band radars, networked by AI compute, made resilient through redundancy, looking at all angles, capable of simultaneous detection and tracking multiple threats (essentially a guard against swarms). The inclusion of directional radio frequency inhibitor in the process would mitigate the UAS by instituting loss of control thereby denying, deterring or disrupting an impending threat. If the electronic counter-attack is insufficient, the kinetic hard-kill option still exists due to the layered approach across the full kill-chain.

Own vulnerabilities must be assessed, factoring AI and ML. A 360-degree cardinal situational awareness, layered with sophisticated AI facilitated techniques to deduce swarm objectives and threat mitigation needs to be propagated. International cyber attacks either through nations or through organizations, leveraging the power of AI can have catastrophic impact on society. Juxtapose this with lethal autonomous weapons and the problems get accentuated.

UCAS is not a silver bullet but a natural corollary to the evolution of UAS continuum. Nagorono-Karabakh was the real conflict experience for the U-CAV. At different levels of operation, the integration levels preferred are:

• At the technical level, there is a requirement of multi-domain solutions.

• At the tactical level, there is greater requirement of integration to develop a common operational picture to avoid fratricide.

• At the operational level, there is requirement of a seamless integration of the UCAS with existing capabilities.

• At the Strategic level, there is a requirement of whole of the government approach. The entire gamut of actions from Prevention (that stresses on the EW signals to Intelligence) to Situational Awareness (that legislates detection, tracking, classification and identification) to Response (by defeating, deterring, destruction or capturing) and to the post event analytics (or PSDA); the entire flow chart of activities is constructed and these precepts incorporated in the CUAS operational strategy.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat, during a webinar on ‘Shaping the Armed Forces to meet likely current and future challenges’ at the Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi, on 7 April, spelt out the emerging paradigm to be adopted by India and he stated, “Future battles requires us to confront the growing capabilities of our adversaries, i.e., the hybrid imprint, collusive support and threat posed from emerging technologies. Needless to say, we cannot fight the next war premised on the experiences and structures of the past wars. The keystone to the way forward is by joint-ness, integration and modernization by imbibing technology in line with the changing security environment and utmost optimization of resources generating greater combat effectiveness”.

Out of the world glare, India has donned the ‘Green (creativity) Hat’ from De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats to try new ideas and perspectives – something vital for assuming leadership in the global context. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), as part of it next generation Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) has unveiled the Air Launched Flexible Asset (ALFA-S) swarming drone system to penetrate contested airspace. Remember, a swarm itself maybe used as an effective C-UAS against a swarm attack. The approach is collaborative with the USAF’s ‘Air Force Research Labs’ joining the bandwagon with India.

A layered approach with integration of different systems is ideally suited for the Indian approach. Since C-UAS needs to be factored into the air defence philosophy at the Service level, the announcement of an Air Defence Command, as part of the overall theaterization, synergizing all resources under direction of a single theater commander augurs well for the concept. The system must be capable of detecting – tracking -identifying – deterring and ultimately defeating an incoming attack. The strategy must be based on an ‘autonomous’ model with fused systems, capable of more than one vector response, used proactively. It is a concept that needs incorporation sooner than later.     (Concluded)

The post Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (Part 2) appeared first on IMR.