The Jammu airbase drone attack last week has brought in a new magnitude to the never-ending terror attacks in the country.
Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being used in the military since the 1990s. It isn't new, but the latest attack on military assets at a Jammu airbase has exposed the potential threat that these low-cost drones are capable of.
Last Sunday, two drones dropped IED explosives on an Indian Air Force Base in Jammu, injuring two IAF personnel.
According to Chief of the Air Staff RKS Bhadauria, the drones targeted key military assets in the airbase, adding that the attack was not successful as it did not hit their designated targets.
As per reports, one of the IEDs broke through the roof of a building, while the other dropped few yards away from the assets. The attack took place during the wee hours of Sunday and could be heard within a radius of one kilometre.
"That attack has failed and our assets are safe. One strike had high explosives; other was fragmentation round…," he said during a webinar.
It is noteworthy that it was the first-ever terror attack in India where drones were used.
To thwart such attacks in the future, Chief of defence staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat said counter-drone systems were brought in to Jammu. He also said it is still hard to ascertain as to where the next attack would take place.
Further, Rawat also pulled in Pakistan saying that if the drones were launched by them, then it was important to understand what the intention was.
"Was the intention only messaging that I have the system, I can do this to you, or was it to engage one of our facilities. If it was to engage one of our targets and destroy it, then the reaction of the armed forces would have been very different than what has happened this time. We do not know the ultimate intention. Political will is there and the armed forces are ready to do it," he said.
Just a day after the attack, two more drones were spotted over an army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Thankfully, the drones were intercepted after a high alert was sounded and Quick Reaction Teams fired upon them.
The drones however were able to fly away, the military said in a statement.
Meanwhile, no rebel group has claimed the responsibility for such 'drone' incidents.
However, it is noteworthy that Pakistan as well as Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly said that they could stage a "false flag" attack in India to divert attention from its domestic difficulties.
With technology evolving fast, terrorists have also revamped their methods of 'attacking'.
According to a senior armed forces officer, who previously worked on UAV projects, the use of drones to attack is a "totally different spectrum".
In order to counter them, their control mechanism can be jammed or remotely take control of their delivery mechanism, he said.
Radar systems are conventionally designed to detect small flying objects, but it is also highly possible that it might be a bird rather than a drone, which could be overwhelming for the system.
The recent attack was probably carried out by amateurs, but what if they were professionals? Moreover, it's only a matter of time they master it, so to speak.
