New Delhi: The Army Air Defence (AAD) is eyeing a massive upgrade to bolster its counter-unmanned aerial system (UAS) capabilities. The combat support arm is looking for surveillance systems for the smallest-size drones carrying a payload—among other systems—aiming to increase the detection capabilities of the force.
AAD Director General Sumer Ivan D’Cunha said, “The first thing is to get a surveillance system … Our current radars are incapable. We are in the process of acquiring it. We are looking at the LLLR (Low Level Light Radar), capable of picking up a Mavic (drone) without a grenade.”
The Army plans to increase the density these radars can penetrate because it is one of the requirements in mountains and valleys. The Army has radar capabilities of ranges that allow the pick up of typical targets, but the range to detect drones allowing sufficient time for engaging the drones is more, at six to seven km.
As drone capabilities are enhanced, the counter-drone systems are also improving. Counter-UAS or C-UAS remains the Army Air Defence’s responsibility as part of its air threat. The C-UAS systems have improved, from pure jamming to a hard kill and now hybrid systems, including passive and active detection with jammers and Directed Energy Weapons (DEW), such as LASERS and High Power Microwave (HPM).
“Every individual becomes vulnerable when an infantry soldier or a tankman, artillery battery, or Air Defence weapon system is vulnerable. So, we have to give the capability of drones and some counter-measures to each man,” said Lt Gen D’Cunha.
The AAD is also looking at procuring “smart ammunition”. At this point, the Army uses 17 rounds of High Explosive (HE) ammunition—equivalent to one round of “smart ammunition”.
Moreover, the Army plans to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to boost its emerging counter-drone capabilities. The philosophy the force currently lives by is ‘Centralised Control Distributed Network operation’ while the network itself may be distributed, meaning that on-the-ground soldiers should be able to take on emerging drone challenges.
Stages of procurement
The Air Defence Gun Missile (Self Propelled) system or ADGM SP is in the Request For Proposal (RFP) stage. The RFP—which should be out in the next two months—would be so that the systems match the existing Shilkas and Tunguskas of the mechanised columns of the Army. The ADGM SP will have an eight- to 10-km range. The gun will use fragmentation ammunition and missile counter-UAS capability.
For the ADGM SP, India’s defence industry, as part of ‘Buy and Make’, can provide the first trial model in four to five years, according to Lt Gen D’Cunha. That is a concern because induction would be seven years later, he said.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on the Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM), which will have a range of 30 km. Lt Gen D’Cunha called this “an extremely good project by DRDO”.
“We are hoping that the [Indian] industry comes up with a seven- to 10km-range missile; hoping that the Indian industry meets our expectation in some form,” said Lt Gen D’Cunha.
The ADGM SP will be tracked, and the QRSAM system will be wheeled and tracked.
On the QRSAM, Lt Gen D’Cunha said, “We can get a contract with the DRDO in place in the next four to five months. The scale-up will be huge. In 12 months, they would give us the FOPM (First Off Production Model). A year later, they would start rolling out the QRSAM.”
For Area Air Defence weapons systems, the Army had entered a contract for two regiments of the Akash weapon system. The deliveries for high-altitude trials are likely in the next 45 days.
“Moreover, as far as the guns go, we have the successor AD (Air Defence) gun coming up for trials in July this year. The signing of the contract will be in June next year. The RFP is for 220 guns. These will replace the existing L70s and Zu 23 mm guns that the Army already operate. These are all indigenous with smart ammo,” said Lt Gen D’Cunha.
He stressed that the Army was not looking to import guns as of now.
Speaking about guns, he said that they were back in fashion. Stressing that the Indian Army held on to their guns for good reason, Lt Gen D’Cunha said the guns could be used effectively with fragmentation ammunition.
Lt Gen D’Cunha said trials for successor L-70 guns will start with SMART ammunition in July this year. Also, the Request For Information (RFI) for Indigenous fragmentation ammunition has been handed over to the industry.
Speaking about Very Short Range Air Defence systems (VSHORADs), he said that the quantum of systems required is huge, with the RFI to be out in the Indian industry soon.
The Army is also looking at some drone kill systems, with drone, on drone, or rocket on drone. “We are also looking at a vehicle-mounted counter-drone system, with 64 rockets,” said Lt Gen D’Cunha.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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