By Ishita Malakar
The Indian Army has began to change battlefield tactics with the overhauling of newer archaic air defence mechanised weapons which aims to having anti aircraft guns that can shoot down the UAVs along with other advanced weapons like missiles, fragmented ammunition, jammer and radar in order for to safeguard the airspace at major key locations.
The old L-70 guns are going to be replaced with the currently running trials on two homegrown anti aircraft weapons. These trials will be carried out in July. Meanwhile an RFI has been issued for the Indian Army to purchase nine direct energy laser weapons for destroying the unmanned aerial systems. If these trials are proven successful, these successors of the L-70 guns will be put to use in the coming next two years.
Late General Sumer Ivan D Cunha who is also the Director General of Army Air Defence has mentioned that a drone is a reason of concern since it is unknown what quality and quantity a drone can carry. And in case of a battlefield the army is willing to have 3000- 4000 drones over a 400 square kilometre area. The air space will however be restricted with jammers on both sides. And it is quite a challenge to handle such a scenario.
He also remarked that the trials that will be carried out for these new ammunitions will be provided by two indigenous companies. After the trials are successful, the Army Air Defence unit will possibly procure around 200 of such newer advanced guns in the first phase and replace the L-70 that was inducted at least six decades ago as it has already served its time.
The various other weapons that the army procure will include high power microwave weapons, fragmented ammunitions, SMART ammunition, next gen surveillance radar to detect the incoming UAVs.