Bhopal:

India has made significant progress in drone technology in the last six years, Surveyor General of India Hitesh Kumar Makwana said here on Monday.

Mr Makwana, while addressing a workshop, said the Central government has made a drone policy for the widespread use of drone technology.

From their initial limited use to their widespread use today, drones have emerged as versatile tools.

He said that the government has set a target of developing an ecosystem based on drone technology, for which, necessary rules, licensing procedures, and period of operation, have been prescribed for the operation of drones.

“When we talk about drones, it is not just a flying camera but a game-changing technology that is capable of providing services at different levels. There is a possibility of widespread application of this technology in the state, which will provide better facilities to the citizens,” he added.

He said the government has taken the initiative to develop such an ecosystem through which drones can be widely used in various fields.

“This initiative will play an important role in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make-in-India vision,” Makwana said.

During the workshop organised to discuss advanced technology of drones at Bhopal’s Kushabhau Thakre auditorium, Makwana also said that Madhya Pradesh has taken a strong step towards becoming a leader in drone technology.

“Madhya Pradesh is a leading state in the use of drone technology. The state has made a special achievement by using drone technology to implement the Swamitva Yojana. Drone technology is efficient, accessible, and a low-cost technology,” he added.

On this occasion, Additional Chief Secretary, Science and Technology, Sanjay Dubey, while highlighting Madhya Pradesh’s steps towards the use of drone technology, said the state government has decided to set up manufacturing units and the process has been underway.

“Madhya Pradesh is working for the practical and beneficial use of drones at the regional level. We aim to develop a strong and holistic ecosystem in the state. The use of drone technology is not just an option but it is a necessity of the future,” Dube said.

On this occasion, a drone-centric information portal was also launched, which will be helpful in integrating information related to drone technology, policy and training.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

In what comes as an alarming development, a radioactive shipment in the US state of New Jersey shipped from the Nazha Cancer Center in Newfield has gone missing. Medical equipment used for cancer scans was in the consignment that arrived at its destination, ‘damaged and empty’. The development comes at a time when the mystery involving swarms of drones flying in the night sky has gripped the entire nation. The timing and nature of the missing radioactive material has led to theories suggesting the drones might be involved in searching for or monitoring the lost shipment.

As per a notification by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC), the device contained a small amount of Germanium-68 (Ge-68), used to calibrate the scanner’s accuracy. It has been termed a “Less Than Category 3” level of radioactive material by the agency.

“The shipping container arrived at its destination damaged and empty. The licensee has filed a claim with the shipper. If the source is not located within 30 days, the licensee will follow-up with a full written report to include root cause(s) and corrective actions,” read the notification.

“Sources that are “Less than IAEA Category 3 sources,” are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury,” it added.

Reacting to the news, some social media users speculated that the drones could be hunting for radioactive leaks or other hazards. However, official statements have been cautious, with no confirmation of such activities.

Also Read | US Cop Sends “Industrial Grade” Drone After Mystery UFOs. Then This Happens

Trump reacts to sightings

The sightings first began in November near Morris County, New Jersey but have since spread to Massachusetts, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York among other states.

President-elect Donald Trump recently chimed in on the issue by suggesting that the mysterious drones should be shot down promptly.

“Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so,” Mr Trump said in a post on Truth Social, a social media platform owned by him.

“Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!! DJT,” he added.

Meanwhile, the US government said the mysterious objects were “manned aircraft” being operated lawfully. “Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully,” said White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby.

In what comes as a revolutionary piece of engineering, a Chinese scientist, known as “Crazy Li” has equipped small drones with the capability to emit powerful metal-cutting laser beams – a feat previously believed to be impossible. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, Li Xiao, an associate researcher at the National University of Defence Technology under the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), spearheaded the innovation that has been documented in the Chinese journal Acta Armamentarii.

The research envisions a scenario where a solitary small drone is able to take on a squad of fully armed soldiers. The drone emits a near-infrared laser that is 200 million times more powerful than a beam of 1080 nanometres wavelength that can cause blindness at a power of just five microwatts. A laser of such intensity is “sufficient to cut through” metal, as per the study.

“In future applications, multiple drones can be equipped with this device to detect targets and then request illumination from the ground, further improving response speed,” the study highlighted.

Currently, generating a laser beam that is capable of piercing a metal body requires large equipment usually loaded on a truck which limits its use in real-life situations. However, Li’s team has developed a compact solution that allows these high-powered lasers to be deployed on much smaller platforms, like consumer-grade drones.

Also Read | China Unveils Next-Gen Weapons, Stealth Fighters, Drones At Airshow

How was it accomplished?

This was accomplished using a novel device that can redirect a laser beam from a ground station, allowing the drone to act as a mobile laser weapon without carrying the power source itself. This boosts the laser power emitted by the drone to 30kW or even higher whilst also allowing the beam to bend in the sky — bypassing obstacles and hitting the target efficiently.

As per the paper, the scientists had solved most of the technical problems associated with the new laser drone. Notably, the main impediment to its success is the vibration generated during the drone flight which can cause the beam to scatter. As per Li, the device must have excellent vibration isolation technology to avoid such a scenario.

However, as the tech progresses from research to potential deployment, the global community will have to be on its toes to consider the implications for both military strategy and international arms control discussions. 

The Indian Army has developed ‘Kharga’ Kamikaze drone, an aero system capable of being deployed in intelligence and surveillance roles. The drone is a high-speed and low-weight aerial vehicle with a speed of 40 meters per second, officials said.

‘Kharga’ can carry up to 700 grams of explosives and is equipped with GPS, a navigation system, and a high-definition camera. It also reportedly has countermeasures for enemy electromagnetic spectrum jamming.

The drone has a range of about one and a half kilometres. 

Known as a kind of ‘suicide’ drone, it can easily destroy enemy targets. According to officials, ‘Kharga’ does not come under the radar range.

The drone has been built at a cost of Rs 30,000.

Such drones were used in the Russia-Ukraine war, officials said.

In August, the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) launched potent ‘Swadeshi’ (indigenous) Kamikaze drones – do-and-die unmanned aerial vehicles with home-built engines that can power them to fly up to 1,000 kilometres. The aerial vehicles have been used extensively by the Ukrainians to target Russian infantry and armoured vehicles.

The Kamikaze suicide missions were first seen towards the end of World War II when the pilots of a depleted Japanese air force would ram their fighter planes on Allied aircraft and ships.

‘Dronaam’ neutralised 55% drones

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the Border Security Force (BSF) has been able to neutralise 55 percent of drones along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab using ‘Dronaam’, India’s indigenous counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS).

“I sleep fearlessly at night as I know you people are guarding borders. The new system installed is a great success,” Mr Shah said while addressing the 60th raising day of the Border Security Force.

Developed by Gurutvaa Systems, ‘Dronaam’ is a cutting-edge modular C-UAS designed to offer foolproof protection against illegal unmanned aerial systems (UAS). It is a versatile system that can provide directional or omnidirectional coverage, making it suitable for various security scenarios.

With the help of Dronaam, India’s indigenous counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS), the Border Security Force (BSF) has been able to neutralise 55 percent of drones along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab, said Home Minister Amit Shah.

“I sleep fearlessly at night as I know you people are guarding borders. The new system installed is a great success,” the Home Minister underscored while addressing the 60th raising day of the Border Security Force.

The initial results of a “laser equipped anti-drone gun-mounted” mechanism, said Mr Shah, have been encouraging.
    
“This has led to an increase in drone neutralisation and detection cases, up from 3 per cent to 55 per cent, along the India-Pakistan specially along borders in Punjab,” Amit shah said.

India is working, said Mr Shah, to create a comprehensive anti-drone system to create a comprehensive anti-drone unit to secure its borders as the “menace” of unmanned aerial vehicles is going to get serious in the coming days.

“The drone menace is going to get more serious in the coming days… We are tackling this issue with a “whole of government” approach with the defence and research organisations and the DRDO teaming up,” said the Minister. 

आज जोधपुर, राजस्थान में सीमा सुरक्षा बल के 60वें स्थापना दिवस परेड समारोह में वीर जवानों से संवाद किया।

देश की सीमाओं की सुरक्षा और अंतरराष्ट्रीय अपराधों को रोकने के लिए कटिबद्ध सीमा सुरक्षा बल के जवान रेगिस्तानों से लेकर दुर्गम जंगलों और बर्फीले पहाड़ों पर भी राष्ट्ररक्षा के… pic.twitter.com/ykwH0FJTRp

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 8, 2024

Dronaam, developed by Gurutvaa Systems, is a cutting-edge modular C-UAS designed to offer foolproof protection against illegal unmanned aerial systems (UAS). It is a versatile system that can provide directional or omni-directional coverage, making it suitable for various security scenarios.

The system can be configured as a fully integrated rifle-style device or a portable countermeasure in a backpack configuration. It is equally effective in fixed installations, where it can be mounted on moving or stationary platforms, offering the option of directional or omni-directional coverage.

“With the help of laser rays we can neutralise the drone,” Inspector Pawan Kumar who operates Dronaam told NDTV, adding that the hardware of the drone is jammed with this technology.

More than 260 drones have been downed or recovered from India’s border with Pakistan this year as compared to about 110 in 2023, per government data.
       
The maximum number of such interdictions of drones carrying arms and drugs have taken place in Punjab and very few in Rajasthan and Jammu.
       
Amit Shah reviewed the ceremonial parade, took salute and awarded medals to gallantry award winners.
       
The BSF, which has a strength of about 2.65 lakh personnel, was raised on December 1, 1965. It is primarily tasked with guarding more than 6,300 km of Indian fronts with Pakistan and Bangladesh apart from rendering a variety of duties in the internal security domain of the country.
       
Mr Shah said the ongoing Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) for securing India’s borders with Pakistan (2,289 km) and Bangladesh (4,096 km) is a work in progress.
       
“We have had an encouraging response from the CIBMS deployed along the riverine border in Assam’s Dhubri (India-Bangladesh international border) but some improvements are required,” he said.
       
The Minister said the Union government has sanctioned a “big” budget for strengthening India’s borders — fencing, frontier infrastructure, roads and other logistics.
       
“Securing global recognition and the number one place for India by 2047 is not possible without our security personnel… the jawans who guard our borders with dedication,” he said.
       
About 573 new border posts, said Mr Shah, have been created by the Modi government apart from 1,812 km of roads.
       
BSF Director General (DG) Daljit Singh Chawdhary said as many as 190 drone devices were seized and mapped. “Their data was shared with sister agencies for further probe,” he informed.
 

Jodhpur:

India’s Border Security Force (BSF) is stepping up its use of advanced surveillance and counter-drone measures to tackle increasing drone activity along the eastern border with Bangladesh.

In an interview with NDTV, BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chaudhary spoke about the force’s readiness to counter threats posed by modern surveillance technologies deployed by neighbouring countries. “We are taking adequate countermeasures to ensure that the ways being used by our neighbours get nullified,” Mr Chaudhary told NDTV.

The Director General highlighted the growing global reliance on drone technology for surveillance and expressed India’s commitment to strengthening its border security infrastructure. “We are continuously upgrading our surveillance techniques to meet emerging challenges,” Mr Chaudhary noted.

Intelligence reports have flagged a resurgence of extremist and radical elements along the eastern border. These groups are attempting to infiltrate India, posing a big security risk. Intelligence inputs also suggest that terror groups and cartels are using smuggling networks to push radicals to cross over to India.

The BSF chief assured that India’s security grid is robust and capable of thwarting such attempts.

“As far as inputs regarding extremist elements trying to sneak into India are concerned, we have a grid where in our G-Branch and sister agencies work together to ensure that this does not happen,” he said.

The recent seizure of a drone along the India-Bangladesh border has heightened the sense of urgency among security agencies. Following the incident, counter-drone mechanisms were further bolstered to address the evolving threat.

India shares a 4,096.70 km border with Bangladesh, of which approximately 800 km remains unfenced, creating potential vulnerabilities. “We have taken adequate technical measures to ensure that our neighbours do not exploit this 800 km gap,” the DG said. 
 

New Delhi:

A gun to counter drones, with a range of four kilometres, caught Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi’s attention, who examined the India-made gun at ‘Swavlamban 2024’ – Indian Navy’s Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) Seminar.

‘Vajra Shot’ developed by Big Bang Boom Solutions has been deployed in the Army and the Air Force. Representing the company at the exhibition, Ravi Kumar said, “We are into anti-drone solutions and this is ‘Vajra Shot’. It is a hand-held anti-drone gun that can detect up to a range of 4 km and can also do jamming. We have deployed it in the Indian Army and Air Force. We have received orders worth around $25 million (Over Rs 200 crore) so far.”

#WATCH | Delhi: Ravi Kumar representing Big Bang Boom Solutions says, “We are into anti-drone solutions and this is ‘Vajra Shot’. It is a hand-held anti-drone gun that can detect up to a range of 4 km and can also do jamming. We have deployed it in the Indian Army and Air Force.… https://t.co/AuVeHYv2rRpic.twitter.com/M4TVMI26Vo

— ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2024

Vajra Shot has been designed for portability and ease of use by soldiers. The radars detect drones from up to four kilometres away and disrupt radio communication between the drone and its operator. The lightweight design makes it mobile. It can adapt its output frequency, unlike traditional radio jammers that operate on fixed frequencies.

Admiral Tripathi examined the gun at the exhibition as well. He inaugurated the ‘Swavlamban 2024’ exhibition at Bharat Mandapam being held at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi on October 28 and 29.

Speaking to ANI, the Navy Chief expressed happiness to witness the innovations from the country’s young entrepreneurs. He added that around 115 stalls have been set up by various agencies in the exhibition.

“I have just gone around the exhibition and it has been such a wonderful experience to witness what is on display, what our young entrepreneurs are doing and what is possible in the future. There are almost 115 stalls that have been put up by various agencies, which include, of course, the industry, but also DRDO…We have got participation from Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Coast Guard, BSF,” the Navy Chief said.

The Advent Of Drones In Conflict

Former Deputy National Security Advisor of the US, Nadia Schadlow once said, “The space between war and peace is not an empty one – but a landscape churning with political, economic, and security competitions that require constant attention.”

The democratization of technology led to the easy acquisition of AI, which can be used to direct targeted attacks. The use of semi-autonomous and autonomous drones, which are powered by AI, in the Russia-Ukraine war and the attacks in the Red Sea have forced states to change their strategy. Drones can carry out missions at low cost and have blunted the asymmetry. The US and UK are arming Ukraine with AI-powered drones to carry out precision strikes. 

At the NDTV Defence Summit held earlier this year, Sameer Joshi a defence expert said, “The use of drones indicates a doctrinal shift and robots are here to play an important role. 10-15% of robots will be there in future forces.”

Lt General Sunil Srivastava (retired), Former Director of the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, suggested some ways to counter such threats. Speaking at the maiden NDTV Defence Summit, General Srivastava said, “Both Russia and Ukraine have built an ecosystem of drones, mass production is taking place. Crowdsourcing and volunteers are coming up and drones are being produced without trial evaluation using various technologies on which their counter-jamming systems are not effective. Therefore the attrition rate is very high but it is letting them stay in the fight.”

“Using nets, laser systems like Israel’s Iron Beam, and electronic jammers are currently the most effective and cheap ways to counter drones. The Israeli Iron Beam has been effective and I think lasers, and jammers are needed to counter them,” he added.

When the Russian barrage hit the Ukrainian power plant, a worker named Taras was manning the control panel — a crucial task that required him to stay as the air-raid siren blared and his colleagues ran for safety.

After the deafening explosions came a cloud of smoke, then darkness. Fires blazed, and shrapnel pierced the roof of the huge complex, causing debris to rain down on workers. Following protocols, Taras shut down the coal-fired plant, his heart racing.

In the March 22 attack, Russia unleashed more than 60 exploding drones and 90 missiles across Ukraine — the worst assault on the country’s energy infrastructure since the full-scale invasion began in early 2022.

The fusillade reflected Russia’s renewed focus on striking Ukrainian energy facilities. The volume and accuracy of recent attacks have alarmed the country’s defenders, who say Kremlin forces now have better intelligence and fresh tactics in their campaign to annihilate Ukraine’s electrical grid and bring its economy to a halt. Moscow has also apparently learned how to exploit gaps in Ukrainian air defenses.

With more assaults inevitable, officials are scrambling for ways to better defend the country’s energy assets.

The March 22 attack — which left 1.9 million people without power, according to analysts — was among the most intense in Russia’s springtime air campaign targeting civilian infrastructure.

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, lost 80% of its power generation capacity in attacks on March 22 and 29, the company said. Plants were destroyed across the country. Russia targeted transmission networks as well.

The bombardment blacked out large parts of Ukraine — a level of darkness not seen since the first days of the full-scale invasion. The strikes also tested Ukraine’s ability to make quick repairs.

The Associated Press was given access to two DTEK power plants damaged in the March 22 attack on the condition that the names and locations of the facilities and the full names of workers not be mentioned due to security concerns. The AP was not permitted to provide technical details of damage, including the number of missiles that struck each plant or whether the plant could still function.

After previous assaults, power station workers were able to restore service fairly quickly. But that became harder after March 22 because of continuing strikes that prevent rebuilding.

The Kharkiv region, which borders Russia and was the hardest hit, is still enduring power outages weeks later. On Thursday, drones struck the region’s Zmiivska power plant, plunging 350,000 people into the dark.

“They are trying to take us back to the 17th century,” said Serhii, a manager in one of the power plants that was attacked.

Maksym Timchenko, the CEO of DTEK, inspected the grounds of one of the two power stations. Gazing up at the titanic complex, his eyes rested on a gaping hole in the building’s scorched facade.

Inside, workers collected debris in wheelbarrows, their faces blackened by floating dust. Cranes removed giant shards of twisted metal and blocks of fallen concrete. In the dark bowels of the plant’s interior, where an intricate network of large pipes connect to industrial boilers, the steel roof was so pockmarked with shrapnel it resembled a starry night sky.

“I’ve never seen in my life this level of destruction in a power station, and unfortunately it happened to us,” Timchenko said.

He estimates that the company can restore half of the damaged units in two to three months. It’s a Sisyphean task: Workers must repair damage over and over again.

This particular plant was targeted late last year, and one unit was destroyed. Timchenko said DTEK planned to repair it by the end of this year.

“But now the same level of destruction has happened to several power units,” he said, bringing the plant and the company’s strategic plans back to square one.

During the agonizing wait for more strikes, Ukrainian officials are discussing how to better protect power generators. One solution may be decentralizing them by creating a network of small facilities that are harder to hit than large plants.

The timing of the attacks perplexed many observers.

Russia usually reserves large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure for the peak winter months, when demand for heat is highest. A spring campaign suggests Russia was behind schedule in unleashing new tactics, said Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Kyiv-based Energy Industry Research Center.

“I am absolutely sure that they wanted to do this one month before,” he said.

Russia, as expected, targeted energy infrastructure in the last three months of last year, when temperatures dropped below freezing. But the high-voltage grid was prepared to sustain the attacks, and damaged sites were quickly repaired. In December, Russia accepted that the old tactics were not working.

As the winter months went by, Russia began concocting a new scheme.

“They did a huge intelligence job,” Kharchenko said, pointing to the precise nature of the attacks and the damage done. The Russian military seemed to “know everything about the current status of many energy infrastructure objects,” including their defenses.

Once the targets were chosen, Russia swarmed them with missiles at an unprecedented scale. If before they launched three drones and two missiles per target, now they send six missiles and up to 15 drones, he said.

Air-defense systems could not stop everything. “It was too much,” he said.

Before the March 22 attacks, workers operated under the assumption that air defenses would take down 70% of air attacks. The strikes that got through often fell on the periphery of the plant, said Serhii, a plant manager.

“But now the circle is smaller and smaller, reaching our power units and control rooms,” Serhii said.

The result is dire. According to Kharchenko’s figures, Ukraine lost up to 15 percent of its power generation. That means, for now, it cannot cover the demand expected during the peak summer months of July and August.

In the aftermath of the attack on his power station, Taras was traumatized more by the scale of the destruction than the explosions that caused it.

“I wasn’t scared at first, but we got scared when we saw the consequences,” he said.

On the night of March 22, an injured worker was brought into the control room as fires blazed across the complex.

“With one hand, we conducted the shutdown, with the other we bandaged his injured leg,” he said. They left the plant using flashlights to navigate through pitch darkness.

“If the skies were protected, I would feel calmer,” he said. “Power infrastructure is something everything depends on. If there’s no power, nothing works: Plants don’t work. People are left without internet. You won’t even know when the missiles are flying at you.”

Kolkata:

People of Kolkata, especially the ones living in the New Town area, are likely to get various commodities such as medicines, groceries and food delivered to their doorsteps with the help of drones soon, as a Delhi-based logistics solution provider is planning such a move with the help of local authorities.

Capt Eshaan Khullar, the associate vice president of Skye Air Mobility Pvt Ltd, said the company has already made agreements with 10 -12 housing societies in New Town for the service as drones will help reduce the time taken in conventional ways of delivering goods.
.
“We want to start with New Town and then move to Salt Lake and other parts of Kolkata, besides going to the rural parts where connectivity is an issue, where going from point A to point B is a problem,” Mr Khullar told PTI on the sidelines of a presentation programme.

He also said that the company is looking forward to partnering with various authorities such as the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) to enable drone deliveries in housing societies across Kolkata and West Bengal.

“Tie-ups with societies are needed to create infrastructure. We create skypods where we drop the packages. These are kind of mailboxes placed in any society,” Mr Khullar said.

“The drone service can be very useful for carrying samples of pathological tests, for delivering life-saving drugs. This will be very useful when every minute counts,” NKDA chairman Debasish Sen said after attending the presentation programme on Wednesday.

He said that police often need to create a green corridor for various medical reasons so that a patient or a product can reach their destinations fast.

Mr Khullar said the company hopes to start delivery in New Town within two to three months and full-fledged operations are likely to begin within six months.

However, orders for delivery by drone have to be made through food aggregators and e-commerce sites with which the company has a tie-up.

Drones are used with permission from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and its associated agencies, he said.

The company said its drones are designed to deliver packages with weights ranging from 500 gms to 50 kg.

The company is focused on streamlining drone deliveries as a mainstream logistics solution for healthcare, e-commerce, quick commerce, agri-commodity and other industries, Mr Khullar said.

The company said that it has earlier also conducted the World’s longest BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) medicine delivery flight with Flipkart Health of 104 km between Baruipur and Medinipur in West Bengal, reducing the delivery time by 80 per cent compared to conventional means. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)