UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES - THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE INDIAN ARMY FOR MULTIFARIOUS EMPLOYMENT IN THE FUTURE HIGH TECHNOLOGY BATTLE FIELD LANDSCAPE

摘要

Modern Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are ubiquitous war machines with unmatched endurance and lethal combat capabilities. UAVs eliminate the risk to a pilot's life and their endurance are not constrained by human limitations. Currently, UAVs are employed by militaries around the world for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare and strike missions. In future, they could be employed for resupply, combat search and rescue, aerial refueling and air combat. The availability of advanced navigation and satellite communication technologies has made remote operations of UAV more practical. The capability of a UA V to loiter, search, identify and strike targets while minimising collateral damage, makes it an invaluable weapon system for military commanders. Research into various new technological fields such as stealth and AI by the Industry and Academia is desired to harness optimum potential of these force multipliers.