India buys drones, air defense weapons following aerial Pakistan fight

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Following a bitter aerial battle between India and Pakistan from May 7-10, Delhi has approved an emergency procurement of new equipment for air defense and counterterrorism.

The slaying of 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir on Apr. 22 had prompted India to attack Pakistan, whom it accused of harboring terrorists. Under Operation Sindoor, India initially struck nine alleged terrorist camps in Pakistani territory.

Pakistan’s response, which included drone attacks and shoot-downs of an unknown number of Indian fighter jets, has now encouraged Delhi to accelerate the acquisition of relevant equipment.

Accordingly, India’s Ministry of Defence signed 13 contracts totaling 19.82 billion rupees, or US$231.6 million.

Chief among them are Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction Systems (IDDIS), Low-Level Lightweight Radars (LLLR) and very-short-range air-defense launchers and missiles.

The IDDIS counter-drone system was credited with downing Pakistani drones during May’s conflict. Bharat Electronics Limited produces both IDDIS and the LLLR, the latter being a portable, 3D, active electronically scanned array radar. The LLLR is designed to detect aerial threats such as drones with low radar cross-sections.

Since the battle, India has captured drones flown across the Pakistan border carrying smuggled small arms. The increasing use of drones by non-state actors, as well as by Pakistan, requires tightly knit India counter-drone and air defenses.

Referring to the 13 contracts, the government said, “Executed through fast-track procedures under the emergency procurement mandate, the procurement aims to enhance situational awareness, lethality, mobility and protection for troops deployed in counterterrorism environments.”

Also on order are drones and loitering munitions. Known to be among them is ideaForge’s Hybrid Mini UAV that performs surveillance, and, according to Indian media, 450 Nagastra-1R loitering munitions from Solar Industries.

Since January, the Indian Army has issued no fewer than five requests for information for different types of drones, as the military boosts inventories. Unmanned systems are particularly useful for conducting surveillance and reducing casualties, especially in rough terrain demarcating the India-Pakistan border.

For Indian soldiers, the 13 contracts also include bullet-proof jackets, ballistic helmets, rifle night sights, and Tata 4×4 Quick-Reaction Fighting Vehicles. The Indian Army had received its first QRFVs in April 2022.

The MoD noted that all this equipment comes from domestic sources.

“The emergency procurement route continues to be a key enabler in bridging urgent capability gaps and ensuring timely induction of vital operational equipment,” officials said in a statement.

At least 80 terrorist and insurgency attacks have been reported in India since January. The military has responded with 536 counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “Operation Sindoor is now the nation’s established policy in the fight against terrorism, marking a decisive shift in its strategic approach.”

Part of that policy shift is India no longer differentiating between terrorist operatives and the governments that shelter them. Such a posture ups the ante for additional potential clashes between India and Pakistan.