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DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY
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- HIMABINDU
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 DRDO
• DRDO was established in 1958.
• It works under “Department of Defence Research and Development”

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under Ministry of Defence.

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• It works towards enhancing self-reliance in Defence Systems and

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undertakes design & development leading to production of world class

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weapon systems as per the requirements of the three defence services.
• DRDO has a network of over 50 laboratories working in various areas
of defence technology.
• It also provides ample spinoff benefits to the society at large thereby
contributing to the nation building.
TYPES OF MISSILES
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 Ballistic missiles:
Ballistic missile, a rocket-propelled self-guided strategic-weapons system that
follows a ballistic trajectory to deliver a payload from its launch site to a
predetermined target. Ballistic missiles can carry conventional high explosives

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as well as chemical, biological, or nuclear munitions.

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• Under the guidance of Dr. Kalam, India
developed several ballistic missiles as part
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of The Integrated Guided Missile
Development Programme (IGMDP).
• Strategic missiles are the missiles that can
attack bigger targets like a city.
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 Ballistic missile - types
Surface to Surface
Short Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBMs) Inter Continental Ballistic missiles (ICBM)

Missile name Range Payload Agni-V 5000 km 1500 kg

Prithvi-I 150 km 1,000 kg
Submarine launchable Ballistic missiles (SLBM)
Prithvi-II 250 km 500 kg
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K-15
U 750 km 500 kg
Prithvi-III 350 km
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1000 kg Sagarika
Agni-I 1000 km

I MA 1000 kg K-4 3000 km 1000 kg

Missile name Range

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Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs)

Payload
Agni-II 2000 km 1,000 kg

Agni-III 3000 km 500 Kg

Agni-IV 4000 km 1000 Kg

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 Agni V
• India’s first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
• It is a three-stage surface to surface missile that uses solid propellant.
• It can carry 1.5 ton of nuclear warheads with a target range over 5,000 km.
• It can attain the speed of 24 Mach.
•
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Unlike other missiles of the series, Agni-5 is the most advanced in terms of

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navigation and guidance, warhead and engine, can hit the targets with high
precision.
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• Agni 5 was test fired on 27th October 2021 from APJ Abdul Kalam island.
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AGNI - P
• India reportedly has been working to develop multiple independently
targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs).
• It is the 6th missile in the Agni series.
• In December 2021,DRDO successfully test fired Agni-P from Abdul
Kalam island
• Agni P is a new generation advanced variant of Agni class missiles.
• It is canisterised missile with range capability between 1000 -2000 Km.

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• Canisterisation of missiles reduces the time required to launch the missile
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while improving its storage and mobility.
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• It plugs the range gap between Agni I & II
• (Note: Agni VI with a range of 11,000 – 12000 km is under
development). H
• This is a three-stage solid fuel missile with Maneuverable reentry vehicle
(MaRV) capability that delivered the warheads in two separate locations.
• MaRV is a type of ballistic missile whose warhead is capable of
autonomously tracking ground targets.
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 Cruise missiles

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• These missiles don’t follow the laws of gravity and their path
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is controlled throughout their journey period.
B
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IMbeing caught by radars.
• These missiles are self-navigating and fly at extremely low
altitudesH
to avoid
• Level of accuracy in these missiles is extremely high.
• These are Tactical missiles that are used in the battle field.
Type Name Range Payload
Capacity

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Subsonic Cruise Nirbhay 750-1000 km 500 kg
Missiles
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Supersonic Cruise
Missiles
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BrahMos (Mach 2.8) 290 km
Extended to
300 kg

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Hypersonic Cruise
450 km
BrahMos-II (Mach 7) 750 km 1000 kg
Missiles (Under development) 400 – 600 ----
km
 Nirbhay
• It is an indigenously developed subsonic missile, with a speed of 0.7 Mach.
• It has a range of ~ 800 km (Long range)
• The missile is powered by a solid rocket booster and a turbofan (air
breathing) engine.
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• It can also be launched from multiple platforms including aircraft, land-
based vehicles/launchers, ships and submarines.

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• Carry conventional warheads and is also said to be nuclear capable.
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H
• It is capable of deep penetration to strike high-value targets with precision.
• With sea-skimming and terrain-hugging capability, the missile can stay
under enemy radar to avoid detection.
• It was in news as one of its test conducted in October 2020 had to be aborted
due to an unexpected problem.
NOTE:
Air breathing engines: Uses atmospheric Oxygen in the combustion of fuel so
that oxidizer need not be added along with the fuel. This reduces the total
propellant required. In such engines the atmospheric air is compressed by a
rotary compressor like Turbofan.
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Ramjet: A variant of air breathing Jet engine that does not include a rotary

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compressor (Turbofan), rather it uses the engine’s forward movement to
compress the incoming air (Works at subsonic speeds)
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Scramjet: It is an innovation on Ramjet in which combustion chamber is
specially designed to operate under hypersonic airflow.
Dual mode Ramjet: A type of jet engine where a Ramjet transforms into a
Scramjet over Mach 4-8 range. Thus, it can efficiently work in subsonic and
supersonic speeds.
 BrahMos
• It is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile – built by India
with the help of Russia (Named after Brahmaputra river +
Moskva (Russian) river)
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• It is multiplatform launchable - can be launched from land or

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submarines/warships or fighter jets.

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• It uses 2-stages, first solid stage and second being the liquid
ramjet.
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• It boasts to be fastest supersonic missile in the world (Mach 2.8).
• A hypersonic version BrahMos – II with speed of Mach 7-8 is also
under development & expected to be deployed by 2025.
• The 2.5-tonne missile has a strike range of nearly 300 kilometres.
• In September 2020, India test-fired an extended-range BrahMos surface-to-surface
supersonic cruise missile from the Integrated Test Range in Odisha. The cruise missile
can hit targets 400 kilometres away - its range increased from the existing 290
kilometres.
• India has also successfully test-fired “a vertical deep dive version” of BrahMos in

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2019, which allows the missile to be fired at a “near-vertical” trajectory of 90 degree
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mountain regions).
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climbing 14 kilometers before making a steep dive toward its target. (Useful in

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• BrahMos with increased indigenous content and improved performance, was
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successfully test-fired from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha on January 20,
2022.
• Jan 11,2022, an advanced sea-sea variant of Brahmos tested from INS
Visakhapatnam.
• May 12,2022, India successfully launched the extended range version of Brahmos for
the first time from Su-30MK1 fighter aircraft.
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BrahMos antiship missile hit its target in Arabian sea
 Shaurya
• Tested in October 2020 from Abdul Kalam island.
• New indigenously-developed hybrid missile, that attains 7.5 Mach speed.

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• Like a ballistic missile, it is powered by solid fuel, but can guide itself up to the
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target like a cruise missile.
• Medium-Range (750 km)
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• Land variant of K-15 Sagarika
• Surface to Surface missile
• Two-stage missile that uses solid propellants
• Can carry conventional or Nuclear warheads (up to 1000 kg)
 Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle
(HSTDV) (Carrier for cruise missile)
• DRDO successfully flight tested the indigenously developed HSTDV in

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September 2020

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• It uses air-breathing scramjet technology.
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• The vehicle travelled its desired flight path at a velocity of six times the speed
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of sound i.e. Mach 6.
• India became the fourth country to have demonstrated this technology after
the USA, Russia and China.
• It can be developed as a carrier vehicle for long range cruise missiles
• Due to its high speed, most RADARs will be unable to detect it. It will also
be able to penetrate most missile defence systems.
 Other missiles
SURFACE TO AIR MISSILES
ANTI-TANK GUIDED MISSILE
Missile Range Payload
name NAG
D U 4 - 7 km 8 kg
Trishul 9 km 5 kg
BI N HeliNa 7 - 10 km 8 Kg
Akash 30 km

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50 kg HeliNa: Helicopter launched Nag Missile

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HeliNA (Army version), (Dhruvastra – Indian Air Force
Maitri 15 km 10 kg
version of HeliNa)
Barak-8 70 km 60 kg AIR TO AIR MISSILES
Astra Mk-1 110 km 15 kg
Astra Mk-2 160 km Under
development
 Akash – NG (New Generation)
• It is a a new variant of the Akash missile - surface-to-air
Missile, tested in July 2021.
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• It can strike targets with an extended range up to 70 km and fly

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at a speed of up to Mach 2.5.
• Developed by Defence Research & Development Laboratory
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(DRDL), Hyderabad.
• Primarily designed for the IAF with an aim of intercepting high
maneuvering aerial threats that have low Radar Cross Section
(RCS), which is the electromagnetic signature of the object.
 Stand-off Anti-tank missile (SANT)

• Indigenously made helicopter launched missile

• It has been tested in December 2021 by DRDO and Indian Air
Force at Pokhran test range.
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• Designed and developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in

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coordination with other DRDO Laboratories.
• It is a fourth-generation upgraded variant of HELINA missile.
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• The missile is equipped with a state-of-the-art Milli Meter
Wave (MMW) Active Radar seeker which provides high precision
strike capability in all weather conditions.
• Can neutralize targets in a range up to 10 km.
IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Program)
• It was approved by the Government of India in 1983 and completed in
March 2012.
• The 5 missiles developed under this program are:

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• Prithvi: Short range surface to surface ballistic missile.
•
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Agni: Ballistic missiles with different ranges, Agni (1,2,3,4,5)
•
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Trishul: Short-range, low-level surface to air missile.
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•
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Nag: 3rd generation anti-tank missile.
Akash: Medium range surface to air missile.

Nuclear triad, a three-sided military-force structure consisting of land-

launched nuclear missiles, nuclear-missile-armed submarines, and
strategic aircraft (e.g. Rafale, Brahmos) with nuclear bombs and missiles.
 Submarines
• Submarines are self-propelled vessels that are designed and built to perform
underwater operations.
• The Indian Navy currently operates Sixteen diesel-electric powered submarines
(including the Scorpene) and two nuclear powered submarines — INS Arihant

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(SSBN, a ballistic missile submarine) and INS Chakra (SSN, a nuclear-powered

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one) leased from Russia.
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• India's submarine fleet is based at two locations: Visakhapatnam on the east
coast and Mumbai on the west coast.
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• Of the 16 conventional submarines India currently possesses, only half are
operational at any given point of time.
NOTE:
INS – Indian Naval Ship
SS – Submarine ship
SSN – Submarine Ship Nuclear
 PROJECT 75
Project 75 that was launched in 2005 to build Six Scorpene
(diesel-electric) submarines of Kalvari class.

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1. INS Kalvari (commissioned in 2017),U
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2. INS Khanderi (commissioned in Sep 2019),

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3. INS Karanj (commissioned in March 2021),
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4. INS Vela (commissioned in Nov 2021),
5. INS Vagir (Commissioned in Jan 2023), and
6. INS Vagsheer ( launched in April 2022 expected to be commissioned in
2023)
• The Scorpène-class submarines are a class of diesel-electric attack
submarines jointly developed by the French Naval Group and
the Spanish company Navantia.
• It features diesel propulsion and an additional air-independent propulsion (AIP).
It is now marketed as the Scorpène 2000.
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• They are the most sophisticated submarines, capable of undertaking multifarious
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missions including anti-surface ship warfare, anti-submarine warfare,
intelligence gathering, mine laying, and area surveillance.
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• The Scorpene class is the Indian Navy’s first modern conventional powered
submarine series (diesel-electric), weighing 1,500 tonnes ad can go up
to depths of 300m.
• The Navy is looking to install Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) modules on
all the Scorpene submarines to enhance endurance.
NOTE:
• Diesel-Electric submarines run on diesel and electricity. They have a large
network of batteries which are charged by the diesel generator. They snorkel,
which means, travelling just below the surface of the water (This makes them
vulnerable to detection). Once they charge their batteries, they dive into the

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ocean and run silently on battery power with the diesel generators shut down.

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• The problem was overcome by applying nuclear power to produce the ‘true

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submarine’ but this solution is expensive. It also presents problems in the
disposal of nuclear waste products and eventually the boats themselves. And the
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nuclear reactors cannot be shut down when not needed.
• Air-independent propulsion (AIP), or air-independent power, is any marine
propulsion technology that allows a non-nuclear submarine to operate without
access to atmospheric oxygen (by surfacing or using a snorkel).
• AIP can augment or replace the diesel-electric propulsion system of non-
nuclear vessels.
• In AIP, Liquid oxygen (LOX) is stored in tanks on board the submarine
and sent to the diesel engine for combustion. (Or)
• The combustion of ethanol and oxygen under high pressure is used

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to generate steam. The steam generated is the working fluid and is used
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to run the turbine.

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• Modern non-nuclear submarines are potentially stealthier than nuclear

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submarines; although some modern submarine reactors are designed to rely
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on natural circulation, most naval nuclear reactors use pumps to circulate
constantly the reactor coolant, generating some amount of detectable
noise.
• Non-nuclear submarines running on battery power or AIP, on the other
hand, can be virtually silent
 PROJECT 75 (INDIA)
• Project 75 (I) is a follow up of project 75. Under the P75I , the Indian Navy
intends to build six advanced Diesel-electric submarines under Ministry of
Defence’s Strategic Partnership model, which aims to build indigenous
capabilities.
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• IN 2020, the government approved Mazagon Docks & Larsen &Turbo (L&T)

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as the Indian Strategic Partners (SP) and five potential Foreign Original
Equipment Manufacturers (OEM).
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• The submarines will feature advanced air-independent propulsion systems for
longer submerge duration and substantial increase in their operational range.
• They are capable of anti-surface and anti-ship warfare missions equipped
with a vertical launch system (VLS) to enable them to carry Brahmos
supersonic cruise missiles.
• They also have advanced stealth capabilities like noise and acoustic
suppression.
• Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on 31st Jan 2019 gave formal approval to

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execute the Navy’s Project-75I (P75I) worth ₹45,000 crore
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• Aims at providing a significant boost to the ‘Make in India’ programme.
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material.
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• Under the program, the submarines must be made up of 65 percent indigenous

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• Stating the terms and conditions in the Request For Proposal (RFP) for the
construction of six advanced submarines under Project-75I as unrealistic,
France, and later Russia have withdrawn from the project, leaving the
future of the project in uncertainty.
RADAR (RADIO DETECTION AND RANGING) is a detection system that
uses radio waves to determine the distance (ranging), angle, or velocity of objects.
v It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor
vehicles, weather formations, and terrain.
v A radar system consists of a transmitter producing electromagnetic waves in
the radio or microwaves domain, a transmitting antenna, a receiving antenna

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(often the same antenna is used for transmitting and receiving) and
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a receiver and processor to determine properties of the object(s). Radio waves from
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the transmitter reflect off the object and return to the receiver, giving information
about the object's location and speed.
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SONAR (SOUND NAVIGATION AND RANGING) is a technique that
uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate,
measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect objects on or under the
surface of the water.
v Two types of technology share the name "sonar": passive sonar is essentially
listening for the sound made by vessels; active sonar is emitting pulses of sounds
and listening for echoes.
 'SMART' torpedo (Anti submarine torpedo)

• SMART (Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo)

• Tested in October 2020 from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island.

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• Anti-submarine torpedo (under-water missile).
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• SMART is a missile-assisted release of lightweight anti-submarine

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torpedo system for beyond the range of a torpedo.
• Indigenously developed by DRDL (Defence Research & Development
Laboratory), Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and other defence
organizations.
 GAME CHANGER ANTI SUBMARINE WARFARE

Velocity reduction
mechanism (VRM)

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 Project 15B (Missile destroyers)
• Project 15B is an ongoing project that involves construction of the
Visakhapatnam-class destroyer (A class of stealth guided missile destroyers).

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• They are designed by the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design, based

BI N
on the older Project 15A Kolkata-class destroyers (made with Russia’s
help).
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H
• Visakhapatnam, a P15B stealth guided missile destroyer named after the port
city of Andhra Pradesh on the East coast, is commissioned into the Indian
Navy by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai
on November 21, 2021.
• Visakhapatnam is packed with sophisticated ‘state of the art’
weapons and sensors such as Surface to Surface Missile and Surface
to Air Missiles (Barak-8 & BrahMos).
• The ship is fitted with a modern Surveillance Radar which provides
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target data to the gunnery weapon systems of the ship.

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• The ship’s Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities are provided by the

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indigenously developed Rocket Launchers, Torpedo Launchers and

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Anti Submarine Warfare, ASW helicopters.
• The ship is equipped to fight under Nuclear, Biological and
Chemical (NBC) warfare conditions.
• The first vessel of the class, INS Visakhapatnam was
commissioned on 21 November 2021.
Highlights:
• Project was signed in January 2011.
• The first-of-class, Visakhapatnam was launched in April 2015.

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• The first of the four, Visakhapatnam was commissioned into the Indian
Navy in November 2021.
I N D
B
• The second ship of the type, Mormugao (named after a port city in
A
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Goa), was launched in September 2016 and commissioned into the Indian

HI
Navy on 18th December’22.
• In April 2019, India launched the third ship of Project 15B, a guided
missile destroyer Imphal, at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai.
Planned to be commissioned in 2023.
• The fourth Visakhapatnam-class guided missile-destroyer, Surat is
expected to enter service in 2024.
 Project 17A
• Project 17A (Nilgiri class frigates) was approved by the Indian Government in
February 2015 to enhance the combat capabilities of the Indian Navy.
• The programme is a follow-on of the Project 17 Shivalik-class frigates.
• Nilgiri-class vessels were the updated versions of British Leander class
frigates.
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• The project involves the development of seven advanced guided-missile

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frigates, of which four will be built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders and the

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remaining three ships by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE).
• The first major class of Indian designed Stealth frigates (smaller warships than
destroyers and are known for their maneuverability) are named INS Nilgiri
(launched September 2019), INS Udaygiri (launched May 2022), INS Taragiri
(launched September 2022), INS Himgiri (launched in Dec 2020 & expected to
be commissioned in 2023), INS Dunagiri (Launched in July 2022), INS
Vindhyagiri and INS Mahendragiri after the names of hill ranges in India.
• They will feature improved stealth capabilities and roll
stabilisation (To have a stable ship in challenging sea conditions)
than its predecessor.

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• They have the capability to accommodate two medium-sized
rotorcraft (Helicopters) such as HAL Dhruv or Sea King Mk.

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42B helicopters.
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• The Barak-8 missiles can be fired from their vertical launch
system that can launch multiple missiles simultaneously.
• They are also equipped with Brahmos supersonic cruise
missiles.
 INS Vikrant
• India’s first Indigenous Aircraft
Carrier (IAC-1) - Commissioned
on September 2, 2022.
• IAC-1 is designed by the Navy's
Warship Design Bureau and
built by the public-sector
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manufacturer Cochin Shipyard
Limited.
BI N
• At present, India has only one
other aircraft carrier, INS
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Vikramaditya, which was
commissioned in 2013 and was
built on a Russian platform.
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• Defence forces were seeking
three carriers in all — one in
spare besides one each for the two
main naval fronts, in the Indian
Ocean and Bay of Bengal.
 Types of war ships
Aircraft Carriers: An aircraft carrier is a warship
that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a
full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying,
arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft.
Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it
allows a naval force to project air power
D U
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worldwide without depending on local bases for
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A
staging aircraft operations.

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2. Cruisers: A cruiser is a type of warship.
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Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a
fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault
ships, and can usually perform several roles. As of
2021 only two countries operate cruisers: the
United States and Russia, and in both cases the
vessels are primarily armed with guided missiles.
3. Destroyers: A destroyer is a fast,
manoeuvrable, long-endurance
warship intended to escort larger
vessels in a fleet & defend them
against powerful short range attackers.
Most destroyers are armed with guided
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missile systems.
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H
4.Frigates: A frigate is
a fairly small ship owned by
the navy that can move at fast speeds.
Frigates are often used to protect other
ships.
5. Corvettes: A corvette is a small
warship. It is traditionally the smallest
class of vessel considered to be a
proper warship. A corvette is typically
D U
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between 500 tons and 2,000 tons,
although recent designs may approach

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3,000 tons, which might instead be
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considered a small frigate.
The modern types of ship below a
corvette are coastal patrol craft, missile
boats and fast attack craft.
6. Submarines: A submarine is a
watercraft capable of independent
operation underwater. Submarines
are referred to as “boats” rather
than “ships” irrespective of their
size.
D U
BI N
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7. Amphibious assault ships: An
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amphibious assault ship is a type
of amphibious warfare ship
employed to land and support
ground forces on enemy territory
by an amphibious assault.
 Anti ballistic defence
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 Anti Ballistic missiles (Surface to air)
Missile name Range Payload
Prithvi Air Defence 3000 km (Exo-atmosphere at 80 km) 5 kg
Missile

D U
Advanced Air Defence
Missile
BI N 150-200 km (Endo-atmosphere at 30
km)
50 kg

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Prithvi Air DefenceA 2,000 to 3,000 km (Exo-atmospheric 10 kg
Vehicle H at more than 120 km altitude)

1. India’s Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) is announced ready for deployment (at
Delhi) in January 2020. It consists of a Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) missile to intercept
incoming missiles in exo-atmosphere an Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile in endo-
atmosphere.
 D U
BI N
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 2. S-400
• The S-400 Triumf is Russia’s air defence missile system.
• In October 2018, India signed a deal of 5.43 billion USD with
Russia for procuring five squadrons of S-400s.

D U
• Trump administration had threatened India with CAATSA sanctions

BI N
(The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act-2017).

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• S-400, a long-range surface-to-air missile system, intended to act as a
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shield over a particular area.
• It is considered one of the most advanced and potent air defence systems in
the world, it has the capability to protect against almost all sorts of aerial
attacks, including drones, missiles, rockets and even fighter jets.
• It comes with a capability of tracking radars and airborne threats.
• It can target enemy fighter jets and cruise missiles from a distance of almost
400 km.
• S-400 can be assembled in a very short time of mere five minutes and can be
fired from any terrain.

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• It is hard to detect and destroy S-400s, as they are very mobile.

I N D
A B
Q. How is S-400 air defence system is technically superior to any other system
potentially available in the world? (10M, 150 words) UPSC 2021
I
Comparison with THAAD
H M
• The American THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) has a single
layer defence has the capability to intercept and destroy short, medium and
intermediate range ballistic missiles at the range of 200 Km and altitudes of up
to 150 Km.
• It is a one dimensional missile system as it can fire only one type of missile and
cannot intercept a fighter jet.
PATRIOT Advanced Capability – 3 (PAC-3)

• On the other hand, USA’s PATRIOT PAC-3 has the ability to intercept
aerial targets at a range of 180 km. It also has the capability of launching

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ballistic missiles up to a range of 100 km.
D
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• S-400 can can simultaneously track up to 160 objects in a 600 km range,
and target 72 objects in a 400 km range. Same parameters for Patriot are 36
and 125 targets.
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H
• S-400 can shoot down targets moving at a speed of 17 km/hour, while
Patriot/PAC-3 could only shoot down a target moving at 8 km/hour.
• S-400 can be deployed within five minutes, compared to 25 minutes for
Patriot (PAC-3).
• It is cheaper too, with an estimated per-battery cost of approximately $500
million, compared to the Patriot’s $1 billion and THAAD’s $3 billion.
Q. What is Terminal High Altitude Area Defence
(THAAD) sometimes seen in the news?
a) An Israeli RADAR system
D U
BI N
b) India's indigenous anti-missile programme

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c) An American anti-missile system
d) A defence collaboration between Japan and South Korea
H
• Though the US was also mounting pressure in India to also consider its
THAAD and PAC-3 missile defense systems, New Delhi went ahead to ink the

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deal with Russia for 5 squadrons of advanced S-400.
D
BI N
• 5. India also had plans to acquire the Integrated Air Defense Weapon system

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(IADWS) or the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile system-II
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H
(NASAMS-II) from the US to use as the inner most layer in the multi layered
missile shield over the NCT of Delhi. But later it decided to instead use
indigenously built Ballistic Missile Defense system.
 Unmanned Aereal Vehicles (UAV)
India's new Drone Rules-2021
• Drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, are often used for military purposes
because they don't put a pilot's life at risk in combat zones.

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• They are indispensable in reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, transporting and
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launching weapons/ammunition with high precision.

BI
• The first drones were imported into India from Israel for use in active combat. India’s

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DRDO has since then developed numerous indigenous drones.

H
• Indian government in April 2018 launched "The iDEX initiative" (Innovations for
Defence Excellence) to achieve self-reliance and foster innovation & technology
development in defence and aerospace sectors.
• In June 2021, to encourage domestic innovation and indigenous development of drone
systems, 498.8 crore budget was allocated by Ministry of Defence under iDEX.
• IDEX engages with MSMEs, start-ups, innovators, academics, and R&D institutions to
evaluate technologies for scalability and aids the armed forces in technological adoption.
• In August 2021, India's Ministry of Civil Aviation notified the
new liberalized Drone Rules, 2021.
• They came in place of previous rules released in March 2021, which were
perceived as restrictive as they involved considerable paperwork, required
U
permissions for every drone flight and very few “free to fly” green zones.
D
I N
• These liberalized rules are aimed at making India global drone hub by 2030.
B
• These rules marks a new era in the Indian drone ecosystem which as per the

I MA
Civil Aviation Ministry estimates to achieve a total turnover of Rs. 120-150
H
billion by 2026, from its current turnover of about Rs. 800 million and can
create 5,00,000 professional jobs in the next 5 years.
• Applications of drones in areas like precision farming, 3D terrain
mapping, medical supplies, inspections of irrigation and other construction
projects is expected to explode in future.
 India's New liberalized Drone Rules-2021
Drone categories Zones
Category Weight
Nano < 250 g
D U
Micro 250 g – 2 kg
I N
2 kg – 25 kg A B
Small
Medium 25 H
I M
kg – 150 kg

Large > 150 kg

ATC: Air Traffic Control
An interactive airspace map is available on Digital Sky.
 D U
BI N
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H
 A user-friendly online single-window system.

(Unique Identification Number)

D U
BI N
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H
• Import of drones to be regulated by Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) shall prescribe drone training
requirements, oversee drone schools and provide pilot licenses online.
 Kamikaze (suicide) drones
• Also called ‘Switchblade drones’, these
are unmanned aircrafts that don’t fire
missiles, but they are the missiles.
D U
B
that explode on contact.I N
• These could be viewed as flying bombs

MA
• About 100 of such drones are being sent
I
H
by the US to Ukraine to assist their fight
against Russia.
• They are Low-cost, light-weight "killer"
drones - can change ground warfare.
• They are equipped with cameras and
provide areal view of the battle ground.
 NETRA
• Netra is an indigenously made, autonomous UAV for surveillance and
reconnaissance operations.
• It has been jointly developed by the DRDO’s Research and Development

D U
Establishment (R&DE), and IdeaForge, a Mumbai-based private firm.

BI N
• Netra is equipped with a resolution CCD camera with a pan/tilt and zoom

I MA
to facilitate wider surveillance. It can also be fitted with thermal cameras
to carry out night operations.
H
• operational altitude of the UAV is 200 meters maximum, having a
vertical take-off and landing capacity (VTOL) and is equipped with a
wireless transmitter.
• In-built fail-safe features allows Netra to return to base on loss of
communication or low battery.
 FIGHTERIN D
JETS
U
A B
HI MIN NEWS
 Light Combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas (India’s Eagle in the sky)
• It is designed by Aeronautical Developmental Agency (ADA) & manufactured by
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL).
• It is being developed in single-seat fighter and twin seat trainer variants for the
Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. Tejas currently has 3 production models Tejas
Mark1, Mark 1A and trainer variant.
D U
I N
• The IAF currently placed an order for 40 Tejas Mark 1, 73 Tejas Mark 1A & 10
trainer air crafts.
B
MA
• So far, IAF has inducted 30 of the 123 Tejas jets ordered previously from HAL.
I
H
• Going to be the backbone of the fighter fleet of the Indian Air Force (Self-reliance)
• It is the smallest lightweight, multi-role, single-engine tactical fighter aircraft in the
world. (Note: Tactical weapons or forces are those which a military leader can decide
for them selves to use in a battle, rather than waiting for a decision by a political
leader)
• It has many advanced features like: Beyond Visual Range Missile capabilities, Air-
to-Air Refuelling and Air-to-Ground weapons.
Characteristics Tejas Mark 1/1A Tejas Mark II
Class Multi role light fighter Multi role medium weight fighter
(MRLF) (MRMWF)
Wing type Delta Delta with Canards (fore wings)
Empty weight 6560kg
U
7850kg
D
Mac take-off weight 13500kg
BI N 2500kg
Range
Speed
I MA
1850km
Mach 1.6-1.8
2500km
Mach 2
Air-air refueling H
Yes Yes
Expected MiG-21 Jaguar, Mirage-2000, MIG-29
replacement for
Present status inducted into service prototype
Series production Commenced 2015 Expected in 2026
• After the success of LCA, government has approved the project to
Tejas mark-2, a much more powerful version.
• Flight testing and certification of Tejas Mark-2 would cost 6500 crore
in addition to the 2500 crore earlier sanctioned for it.

D U
• Tejas Mark-2 would have a longer combat range and greater capacity

BI
to carry the weapons.N
I MA
• Once Tejas Mark-2 is completed, it could be followed by a mega
project to build 5th gen, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft
(AMCA), H
• CCA (Controller of certifying authorities) clearance of 15000 crore
project to build 5th gen AMCA will follow within the next few
months.
 Rafale Fighter Jets
• Rafale is a French-designed twin-engine, delta wing, omni role fighter
aircraft.
• In 2016, India had signed a deal with the French government and Dassault

U
Aviation to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets for over Euro 7.8 billion.
D
I N
• Categorised as a 4.5 generation aircraft for its radar-evading stealth profile,
B
I MA
and a level up over the Dassault Mirage 2000 (A French multi role single
engine 4th gen fighter jet, Used in Kargil war and Balakot attack) and the
H
Russian Su-30 MkI, (India’s most popular fighter jet and serves as back
bone of IAF).
• The Rafale can fly at speeds of 1.8 mach (2,222.6km per hour) and can climb
to a height of 50,000 feet. It has a range of 3,700km, which can be increased
with mid-air refuelling.
 D U
BI N
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H
Mid air refuelling
 D U
BI N
I MA
H
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H
• It can carry 9,500kg of bombs
and munitions. This is more
than the Sukhoi 30 MK1,
which can carry loads of up to
D U
8,000kg
• The indigenously developed
BI N
MA
Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)
I
H
Tejas can be categorised as
4.5 generation in terms of
avionics and technology but it
is too small in comparison
with Raffale.
 D U
BI N
I MA
H
Sukhoi 30 MK 1
It is a twinjet multirole air superiority fighter (designed to seize control of an
enemy airspace) developed by Russia's Sukhoi and built under licence by
India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
A variant of the Sukhoi Su-30, it is a heavy, all-weather, long-range fighter.
 D
HELICOPTERSU
INBI N
NEWS
I MA
H
 Apache helicopters
• Said to be the most modern attack helicopters (AH-64E)

D U
• Designed and equipped with the latest communication, navigation,

B
sensors and weapon systems.I N
• India purchased M
I A
22 Apache helicopters from USA’s Boeing to
H Mi-25 and Mi-35 helicopters
replace Russian-built
• Apache Helicopters were delivered by July 2020.
 Chinook helicopters
• Contract signed in 2015 with USA’s Boeing for 15 helicopters.
• Payload capability of 10 tonnes and highaltitude performance, these

U
helicopters have filled the gap in IAF’s heavy-lift helicopter capability.
D
I N
• To replace the Russia-made Mi-17 medium-lift helicopters & Mi-26
B
helicopters
I MA
H
• Advanced multi-mission helicopters, with primary role of transportation of
troops, artillery, equipment, and fuel.
• Disaster relief, rescue operations etc.
• Have been of great help in the construction of infrastructure and border
road projects especially in the North East.
 Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) MK III
• Indian coast guard commissioned “835 squadron (CG)”, an indigenous
Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) MK-III squadron on 28th June 2022. It is
a tremendous leap towards self reliance in maritime surveillance.
• ALH are developed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL)
D U
I N
• These helicopters consists modern surveillance radar and electro-optical
B
I MA
sensors. (More covert than RADARs. They are either completely passive or emit
much narrow beams than RADARs. They are more precise than RADARs)
H
• Apart from their primary roles of integral Maritime Reconnaissance (MR) and
Search and Rescue (SAR), they can also be deployed for Humanitarian
Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Operations as well as Special
Operations with Marine Commandos.
• These helicopters also have an airborne Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU)
for use in the Air Ambulance role to facilitate the medical evacuation of critically
ill patients.
 Light combat helicopter (LCH) 'Prachand’

An Indian multi role, light

attack helicopter, designed
and manufactured by
Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL) under project
LCH. It is customized as per
the requirement of Indian
armed forces to operate both
in desert terrains and high-
altitude sectors.
 RUDRAM-I
• Also known as ‘New Generation Anti Radiation Missile’, is India’s first
indigenous anti-radiation missile.
• Successfully flight tested from a Sukhoi-30 MKI in October 2020
• Designed to detect, track and neutralize the enemy’s radar, communication assets
and other radio frequency sources, which are generally part of their air defence
systems.
• It is an Air to Surface missile that can be launched from 500 m to 15 km height
and hit the targets in range of more than 100 km.
• Once it locks on the target, it is capable of striking accurately even if the radiation
source switches off in between.
 Anti-satellite missile (ASAT) test
• ASAT, code name “Mission Shakti”, is a technology mission carried out by
DRDO with ISRO.
• Test date: 27th March 2019
• Ballistic missile targeted an ISRO’s live satellite (MICROSAT) in LEO (~300 km)
• It used “kinetic kill” technology.
D U
BI N
• India became the 4th country to do so after USA, Russia and China.

I MA
• It successfully demonstrated India’s capability to interdict and intercept a
satellite in outer space based on complete indigenous technology.
Issues: H
• Space debris, Space weaponization.
• Need for such a test is questioned by other countries.
• India’s commitment to Outer space treaty 1967, that prohibits countries from
placing in to orbit around the earth “any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any
other kinds of weapons of mass destruction”.
 RUSSIA’S NEW ANTI-SATELLITE MISSILE TEST
• In November 2021, Russia launched a missile that destroyed its own satellite
(Kosmos 1408), a large spacecraft that orbited the Earth roughly 480 km
away.
• The breakup of the satellite created at least 1,500 pieces of trackable

D U
fragments, according to the US State Department, as well as thousands of

I N
smaller pieces that cannot be tracked.
B
I MA
• All of those pieces are in low Earth orbit, moving at thousands of miles an
hour and posing a threat to any objects that might cross their path.
H
• Initially, that even included the International Space Station, with crew
members on board forced to take shelter in their spacecrafts as the debris
cloud from the satellite passed by the ISS a couple of times.
• International norms are urgently needed to prevent future tests like this and
to keep Earth’s orbits as safe as possible.
• A Russian satellite, Kosmos 2499 broke apart in the month of Januray
depositing space debris in Earth's orbit according to US Space Force’s
18th space defense squadron which tracks all man-made objects in
Earth’s orbit. (Feb 2023)

D U
• It is believed as second breakup of the satellite and it could be the

I N
breakup of already broken parts.
B
I MA
Mysteries associated with the satellite:
H
• Kosmos 2499 was not in the launch manifest according to
RussianSpaceWeb.com.
• The Ghost satellite created suspicions that it was a platform to test the
technology that would allow space craft to attack and disable satellites.
 Reforms in Defense sector in India for self-reliance
• Defence Procurement Procedure – 2016 (DPP-2016) introduced many significant
policy changes pertaining to India’s defence acquisition, the most significant reform
measure of being in ‘Strategic Partnership’.
• This model has four segments — submarines, single-engine fighter aircraft,
helicopters and armoured carriers/main battle tanks — which would be specifically
opened up for the private sector.
• As part of this, one Indian private company would be selected in each segment
which would tie-up with shortlisted global equipment manufacturers to
manufacture the equipment in India under technology transfer.
• ‘Innovations For Defence Excellence (iDEX)’ was launched by the government of
India in 2018 to modernize the Defence Industry.
• iDEX aims at creation of an ecosystem to foster innovation and technology
development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging Industries including MSMEs,
start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes & academia.
• The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 has increased the
indigenous content requirement in all categories of defence procurement.
• Increase in indigenous availability of high-end military materials, the use
of indigenous software in equipment/systems and a boost to innovation by
start-ups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• In September 2020, increased the Foreign Direct Investment in the
defence sector from 49% to 74% under the automatic route.
• In September 2021, new rules are announced to enhance the delegation
of revenue procurement powers for the Army, Navy and Air Force.
• Under the new rules, critical equipment like air-to-air refuellers for the Air
Force, can be hired for short periods as compared to buying them or a
long-term lease.
• In 2020, the government announced a ban on 101 defence
items and the list shall be progressively reviewed and
expanded every year by the newly created Department of
Military Affairs (DMA).
• India’s new list of 107 defence items published on 24th March
2022 that will attract a phased import ban between December
2022 and December 2028, with the indigenisation drive
covering warships, helicopters, tanks, infantry combat
vehicles, missiles, ammunition and radars.
 D U
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H