Even though the traditional heavy artilleries, rocket artillery played a major, use of drones and high-tech sensors has made a big impact. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has ushered in a new age of advanced stand-off warfare for future conflicts. Poor nations like Pakistan or Azerbaijan can use cheaper drone options available with Turkey and China to target much superior force like India effectively. First, let me explain how India is lagging behind in drone warfare.
The era of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles:
The Use of drones for both surveillance and combat missions across the world is increasing. But with the latest success in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict might tilt the nature of warfare even further towards UAV taking a major role. From the beginning of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, we have seen lots of videos and pictures of armored vehicles, S300 Air-defense systems, radars, convoys been hit regardless of any attempt to camouflage.
Azerbaijan has seen major success in using loitering munitions as the Harop bought from Israel. Of course, some were destroyed by air defense systems. But still, the targets successfully eliminated by are “High-Value Targets” at Less Risk, More Accuracy, and at Low Cost. This could become a major game-changer for the nation which can’t compete with many superior forces.
The era of Sensors:
Modern warfare has changed a lot. Today the use of High-tech drones along with high tech sensors might tilt the battle towards your favor, Use of sensors makes it easier to detect adversary and their assets much faster and more effectively. A big advantage to know your enemy positions in a crucial battle. With the right sensors today, we can pinpoint the enemy movement of troops, tanks, and other hardware in live time. Means, there can be no surprise on you, while you can mount a deadly one.
Just think about the advantage one can possess when it is possible to detect and suppress the long-range artillery units with the help of Sensors and UAVs with precision. This is the effect of using UAVs and Sensors on the modern battlefield.
Drone Warfare – Poor man’s ultimate Weapon of Choice:
Poor nations like Pakistan can buy cheaper variants from Turkey or even the US UCAV knock-off from China. But Pakistan might be feeling to be in a better position with a large number of drones against India. India is known to be a much superior force compared with Pakistan and even with China on many fronts.
But India’s attention towards drone warfare just starting to take shape. Very late realization by India, But India should remember buying a few 10s UCAV for billions of dollars might not be the right direction. India should remember, the use of drone in modern warfare in supportive roles are becoming more common.
But at the same time “Drone Warfare” instead of being a support, it turned out to be the centerpiece of battle strategy. Dozens of drones imported for billions will be counter-effective. Rather focus should be on Cheaper options, made in India, and bought in a very large number.
India Should Focus on Drones But Also the Quantity:
India is now looking at acquiring 6 armed drones from the US instead of the planned mix of 30 armed and non-armed drones. It is also in talks with Israel. (The Print). To give the numbers required against Pakistan and China we can take a small and weak nation like Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan has lost 100s of drones so far and we can be sure they will still in possession of more and might be importing even more on a war footing. While India still in negotiations with the US to buy 6 UCAVs drones with a price tag of at least $100 million per UAV.
Pakistan with its closer ties to China and Turkey can get more UAVs at a much cheaper price than India. Not to forget India is also tangled in a standoff with the Chinese as well.
Conclusion:
Country Like Pakistan can use Drone Warfare as its centerpiece of future war strategy to confuse and suppress Indian air defense protocols. While using traditional weapons like missiles, jets artillery, to be much more effective than before. India should become a major drone manufactures than waiting for US or Israeli imports.
