IAF Chief Pushes for Atmanirbhar Drones, Warns Against Technology Delays
Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, Chief of the Indian Air Force, on Thursday called for greater self-reliance in building unmanned aerial systems and critical defence technologies. Speaking at a workshop organised by the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), he stressed that 'technology delayed is technology denied' and that there is no point in acquiring technology after others have already advanced beyond it.
The IAF chief highlighted ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other ministries to develop a system that can distinguish between bona fide drones and rogue drones. 'We should be able to have no fratricide, in terms of we shooting down our own drones or taking down something that is meant for us,' he said.
Air Chief Marshal Singh also spoke about the integration of manned platforms with drones and other unmanned aerial systems (UAS) sharing the same airspace. He noted that from small micro or mini drones to large unmanned aircraft, all will use the same airspace. 'So man, whether in the loop, on the loop, at least in planning, in terms of control, feedback system, situational awareness, we need to know each other's positions, and understand how an airspace is going to be used,' he explained.
On the issue of miniaturisation, the IAF chief said that if drones are to be smaller and lighter, then payloads—whether weapons, cameras, or other equipment—must also be miniaturised. He emphasised that every component should be developed in India to achieve true self-reliance. 'If there are some components for which we are still relying on some other country then obviously we can fall prey to that country throttling those supplies,' he warned.
Air Chief Marshal Singh underscored the need for swift technology development, given the rapid pace of disruptive technologies. 'We should not miss the bus, we should not be left behind. Technology delayed is technology denied. There is no point having something which comes later than when others have got it and gone beyond it,' he said, adding that technology must not remain confined to labs but be operationalised.
The IAF chief described the challenges in defence technology development as multiple and said they cannot be solved by one agency or group alone. 'All of us have to come together. It has to be a whole-of-nation approach—whether we are users, the defence industry, defence forces, government making rules, industry, researchers, regulators, academia, incubators, investors, QA/QC agencies—all of us have to join hands to ensure that whatever unmanned systems or counter-drone systems we make are safe, secure, reliable, scalable, operationally relevant, and economically viable,' he stated.
