The Indian Army recently brought down a Pakistan Army drone using the indigenously designed and developed 'Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System' while it was trying to carry out surveillance along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Jammu region.
According to defence sources, the drone -- of Chinese origin -- was brought down by Army Air Defence units deployed in the 16 Corps area, located south of the Pir Panjal ranges in the Jammu region.
The incident occurred when the hostile drone was detected operating close to Indian territory along the LoC, they said.
Sources said that the drone was brought down using the indigenously designed and developed 'Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System,' which is capable of jamming, spoofing, and bringing down enemy drones across a variety of ranges and scenarios.
Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the system has been deployed in significant numbers along India's borders, they said.
They added that it is also equipped with a 2-kilowatt laser beam that can strike down enemy drones from an effective range of 800 to 1,000 metres. Defence sources confirmed that the drone was spotted near Indian territory in the 16 Corps area, south of the Pir Panjal ranges. Army Air Defence units responded quickly. The unmanned aerial vehicle was intercepted using the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System, designed and developed entirely in India.
The DRDO-developed system is actively used by the India Army and the other security forces for counter drone operations.
Pertinently, both India and Pakistan regularly deploy small and large UAVs for surveillance along the 778-km long LoC, as is also the practice along the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control with China. Pakistan for the last several years has also been using small drones to courier weapons, explosives and drugs to Punjab and J&K from across the border.
The Army’s Aviation Corps operates larger UAVs, like the Israeli-origin Herons for long-range surveillance and precision-targeting, while the smaller drones are deployed by infantry battalions for tactical reconnaissance.
The Army has inducted a large number of the `Switch’ UAVs, each of which weighs around 6.5-kg and can take off without a runway, manufactured by Mumbai-based drone manufacturer ideaForge Technology.
With the Switch drones capable of being used even in high-altitude areas like Ladakh, the first such Rs 140 crore deal was inked in 2021.
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