India to buy over 800 ‘nano’ drones to keep an eye on volatile border with China
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An Indian fighter jet takes off from an airbase near a disputed border that has been a flashpoint between India and China.
PHOTO: AFP
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NEW DELHI – India is buying over 800 locally made “nano drones” to keep an eye on its volatile border with China, the Times of India has reported.
The 1.2 million-strong Indian army is currently acquiring kamikaze, swarm, logistics and surveillance drones, as it anticipates more clashes with Chinese troops along a contested frontier in the Himalayas.
The latest clash happened in December
There were no deaths reported, but it involved around 300 soldiers from China’s People’s Liberation Army.
That scuffle was the first between China and India since deadly clashes in June 2020, when 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers died in hand-to-hand combat in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh, abutting the Chinese-held Tibetan plateau.
The Times of India reported that the Indian army is purchasing more drones to lessen foot patrols that tend to lead to clashes.
“Reconnaissance missions for these operations are currently physically conducted by small teams of soldiers acting as scouts. This not only increases the risk of casualties but also can jeopardise the mission,” the newspaper quoted an officer as saying.
He said the drones would “enhance immediate situational awareness of the troops”.
Apart from the drones, the Indian army is also acquiring portable air defence missiles that can shoot down low-altitude aerial threats at close range.
The missiles are similar to US-made FIM-92 Stinger surface-to-air missiles.
