India's Drone Warfare in the Indian Ocean

As a result of rapid globalization and the contemporary great power competition, the geo-economic and geostrategic centre of gravity is shifting from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. With the increasing military footprints of the Chinese navy and non-state actors' activities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), New Delhi is now recalibrating its strategic calculus.[1]

India has adopted a two-pronged approach to bolster its naval power in efforts to enhance maritime security. On the one hand, it is acquiring large platforms of strategic value- aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines (SSN, SSBN), and on the other, it is getting tactical assets such as drones.[2]

Why Drones?

Drones are now fast becoming essential hardware for most blue and green water navies. They include unmanned aerial and underwater vehicles (UAVs & UUVs). Their role varies from performing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), search and rescue (SAR) activities, to acquiring targets and carrying out precision strikes. With the incorporation of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), hyperspectral imaging (HIS), advanced robotics, etc. stealth, manoeuvrability, and lethality of drones would increase in the coming years.[3]

Compared with large naval vessels- frigates, destroyers, and corvettes, drones can have multiple advantages. First, they do not face the classic ‘sitting duck’ dilemma. Second, they reduce the risk of collateral damage in terms of assets and blood. Third, they are quick in moving, diverging, and attacking. Fourth, their assembly line is less capital intensive, making them cheaper once production is scaled up. Fifth, they can role fit in both area dominance and anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategies. These factors increase the returns on investment (RoI) manifold since vast swathes of high seas can be monitored and secured at a relatively low acquisition and operating costs.[4]

Moves Made by India

According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's (SIPRI) Arms Transfers Database, India is the third largest importer of military-grade drones with a 6.8% share of the total UAV transfers or deliveries reported across the globe in 2020. Most of these drones have been ISR specific.[5]

In a conference of top naval commanders last year, there was an extensive debate over the issue of procuring these new-age platforms. Subsequently, a roadmap for acquiring unmanned aerial and underwater platforms was finalized, which would drive the development and expansion of maritime surveillance capacity. The core areas of interest for the Indian navy have been the strategic chokepoints in the IOR. The focus has been on increasing long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and close air support capabilities while ensuring optimum resource utilization.[6]

The new defence procurement guidelines that came into force in October 2020 allowed the armed forces to get military hardware on lease to bring down the initial capital cost.[7] The navy became the first service to utilize this provision. It leased two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones for ISR in November 2020 from the US-based firm General Atomics. They were leased for one year with the option of extending it by another year.[8] With an endurance of 30 hours and a range of more than 5000 nautical miles, these flying assets have boosted the overall situational awareness of the navy and allowed it to keep an eye on ‘vehicles of interest’ in IOR.[9]

The navy had been pushing the government hard to acquire at least ten advanced surveillance and drones since the last two years. The other two services were also wanted more drones, especially weaponized ones. It was then decided to purchase 30 MQ-9 Reaper/Predator B drones, 10 each for the three services. This $3 billion deal is likely to be inked during the next 2+2 bilateral talks.[10] As per some recent reports, the US has made the deal look sweeter to India by offering a discount and setting up maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) centre that will cater to all such American systems in the region.[11]

MQ-9 Reaper is a state of the art hunter-killer UAV designed for high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) operations. It is capable of both remotely-controlled operations and autonomous flights. Due to its "significant loiter time, wide-range sensors, multi-mode communications suite and precision weapons", it is a potent weapon system for striking, coordinating, and ISR against high-value, fast-moving, and time-sensitive targets.[12]

The navy already has been deploying the Israeli made Heron and Searcher MkII drones in the region. Under Project Cheetah, the Herons will be upgraded with specialized sensors, satellite communications modules, and, most importantly, the capability to carry and launch air-to-ground precision missiles.[13]

To strengthen its underwater domain awareness (UDA), the navy is looking to acquire remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROUVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Its design wing is actively collaborating with various private sector players such as L&T to develop these platforms.[14] Previously, China has deployed a fleet of UUVs called the Sea Wing (Haiyi) glider in the region for naval intelligence purposes.[15] Fishermen have routinely spotted them in the region, and some of them were seized by Indonesia from its territorial waters.[16]

For countering the adversary's drone warfare capabilities, the navy, in August 2021, sealed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to supply an indigenously built Naval Anti-Drone System (NADS).[17] NADS can instantly detect drones and use laser technology to eliminate them. According to the Defence Ministry, it uses the help of Radar, electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors and radio frequency (RF) detectors to detect and jam the micro drones. It provides both 'soft kill' and 'hard kill’ options to the armed forces to tackle fast-emerging aerial threats.[18]

A Catch-22 Situation

Indian navy is facing a unique dilemma. The nature and complexity of threats emerging in the Indian Ocean are witnessing major changes. As a part of the Indo-Pacific construct, IOR is fast becoming a key theatre for great power competition and conflict. However, the navy is also getting the smallest chunk of the defence budget to prepare for these new strategic realities. Post-Galwan, the focus of New Delhi has again shifted to its land borders, at least for the time being. In this scenario, building drone warfare capabilities provides one way to resolve the dilemma, though to a limited extent.

?Notes

[1] Raja Mohan, C. (2016). Raja-Mandala: Maritime India versus Continental Delhi- The Indian Express https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/international-fleet-review-maritime-india-versus-continental-delhi/

Mishra, Vivek. (2018). Emerging Dynamics of India's Maritime Strategy- Science Technology & Security Forum  http://stsfor.org/content/emerging-dynamics-indias-maritime-strategy

[2] Ensuring Secure Seas: Indian Maritime Security Strategy- Indian Navy (2015) https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/sites/default/files/Indian_Maritime_Security_Strategy_Document_25Jan16.pdf

Kulshreshtha, Milind. (2021). Evolution of UAV Squadrons of Indian Navy to a Combat Ready Force in the Indo-Pacific- Financial Express https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/evolution-of-uav-squadrons-of-indian-navy-to-a-combat-ready-force-in-the-indo-pacific/2216752/  

[3] Sarkar, Debajit. (2020). Emerging Technologies in Military Drones- Financial Express https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/emerging-technologies-in-military-drones/2273795/

[4] Hazelton, Jacquiline L. (2013). Drones: What Are They Good For?- The US Army War College Quarterly, Parameters Volume 43 Number 1 https://press.armywarcollege.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3019&context=parameters

Chang, Ching. (2018). The Nature of Sea Control and Sea Denial- Centre for International Maritime Security (CIMSEC) https://cimsec.org/the-nature-of-sea-control-and-sea-denial/

[5] Eyes in the Sky: Exploring India’s Evolving Drone Ecosystem- Money Control (July 2021) https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/eyes-in-the-sky-exploring-indias-evolving-drone-ecosystem-7160921.html

Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2020- SIPRI https://sipri.org/sites/default/files/2021-03/fs_2103_at_2020.pdf

[6] Indian Navy to Enhance Surveillance Capability, to Focus on Acquiring New-age Tech- The Economic Times (Nov 2021) https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/indian-navy-to-enhance-surveillance-capability-to-focus-on-acquiring-new-age-tech/articleshow/87833892.cms?from=mdr

[7] Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020- Government of India, Ministry of Defence https://www.mod.gov.in/sites/default/files/DAP2030new_0.pdf

[8] Indian Navy inducts two American drones on lease, could add more later- The Print (Nov 2020) https://theprint.in/defence/indian-navy-inducts-two-american-drones-on-lease-could-add-more-later/551931/

[9] Predator drones helping us to keep watch on 'vessels of interest': Navy- Business Standard (June 2021) https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/predator-drones-helping-us-to-keep-watch-on-vessels-of-interest-navy-121061900177_1.html

[10] India okays US predator drones deal; Russian S-400 arrives- The Economic Times (Nov 2021) https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/multimedia/defence/india-okays-us-predator-drones-deal-russian-s-400-arrives/articleshow/87724172.cms

How $3 billion contract for 30 Predator drones with the US will help India – FirstPost (Oct 2021) https://www.firstpost.com/india/how-3-billion-contract-for-30-predator-drones-with-the-us-will-help-india-9989631.html

[11] US offers India discount on Guardian drones, proposes to set up maintenance facility too- The Print (Nov 2021) https://theprint.in/defence/us-offers-india-discount-on-guardian-drones-proposes-to-set-up-maintenance-facility-too/766946/

[12] MQ-9 Reaper https://www.military.com/equipment/mq-9-reaper

[13] Project Cheetah set to take off, India to get upgraded & armed drones from Israel- The Print (Aug 2021) https://theprint.in/defence/project-cheetah-set-to-take-off-india-to-get-upgraded-armed-drones-from-israel/708122/ 

[14] India gearing to develop use of Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV)- NewsOnAir (July 2021) https://newsonair.com/2021/07/28/india-gearing-to-develop-use-of-unmanned-underwater-vehicle-uuv/

[15] China Deployed 12 Underwater Drones In Indian Ocean- Forbes (March 2020) https://www.forbes.com/sites/hisutton/2020/03/22/china-deployed-underwater-drones-in-indian-ocean/

[16] Indonesian fisher finds drone submarine on possible covert mission- The Guardian (Dec 2020) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/31/indonesian-fisher-finds-drone-submarine-on-possible-covert-mission

[17] Navy signs contract with BEL to procure India’s first indigenous naval anti-drone system- The Print (Aug 2021) https://theprint.in/defence/navy-signs-contract-with-bel-to-procure-indias-first-indigenous-naval-anti-drone-system/725726/

[18] Boost to ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in Defence: Indian Navy Signs Contract with BEL for Supply of Naval Anti Drone System- Press Information Bureau (Aug 2021) https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1750830

Pic Courtesy-IDSA GIS Lab

(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)