Army to induct Israeli kamikaze drones, US UAV to amp up armoury

The Indian Army is planning to acquire Israeli Spike Firefly, also known as loitering munition or kamikaze drone, remotely-controlled, unmanned aerial vehicle Raven from the US, and long-precision artillery shells with a range of over 40 km to amp up its artillery, Hindustan Times reported.

Quoting government sources, the report said the army will acquire 200 pieces of RQ-11 UAV from the US, which can fly up to 10 km at an altitude of 500ft and at a speed of up to 95 km/hr, to help soldiers anticipate threat and prepare for combat with the enemy.

The firefly drones on the other hand can strike on the enemy hiding within a range of one km. Besides locating a target, the drone can be called back if the target has moved beyond range.

According to the report, the air force will acquire five Rafale multi-role fighter jets from Paris this month while another four will be used for training in France. The five fighter jets will be stationed at Ambala.

The Indian Navy too will soon commission its second ballistic nuclear submarine INS Arighat.

The weapon acquisitions come in the backdrop of India’s standoff with the Chinese in eastern Ladakh. The report said while the Indian Army and air force have been vigilant at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, the navy has been guarding the Indian Ocean throughout the crisis and has been able to ward off