India’s defence ministry is all set to procure more sitcom-enabled Heron Mark II drones from Israel to boost surveillance along the frontiers with China and Pakistan, government sources said on Monday.
At present, the army, navy and air force operate a significant number of Israel-origin Heron Mark-I and Mark-II drones from their own bases. These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were also extensively used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May.
“We are soon going to procure more Heron drones, especially the more advanced Mark II which will significantly enhance India’s surveillance capabilities along the Line of Control with Pakistan and Line of Actual Control with China,” said a defence ministry official.
The proliferation of drones over the past five years has transformed battlefield dynamics and their effectiveness in real-time combat has already been underlined by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the official said.
The debut of attack drones during the India-Pakistan military conflict in May also reflected a broader shift in modern warfare methods, prompting military veterans to call for more investment in military technology to meet evolving demands.
Heron Mark-II is an advanced model of the Heron UAV, used by the Israel Air Force. These drones can remain in the air for 45 hours and can fly over 1,000km without refueling, and can gather intelligence from tens of kilometres away from enemy fire and without crossing borders. Mark-I drones have a maximum endurance of over 24 hours.
The Indian Army, for the first time, had inducted Mark-II drones following the Chinese incursion in May 2020 in eastern Ladakh to boost surveillance along the Line of Actual Control. India has also accelerated the procurement of 87 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones from local manufacturers.