India’s Role in the Indo-Pacific Drone Market

Drones in Warfare: Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, Operation Sindoor, and Modernisation

• Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (2020) highlighted drones’ role in warfare.

• Operation Sindoor (May 7-10) marked shift from reconnaissance to precision strikes.

Modernisation and Upgrades in India’s Military

• India orders 31 MQ-9B Reapers from the US in 2024 to supplement maritime domain awareness and reinforce strategic partnership.

• High-altitude surveillance systems are required due to vast border territories with Pakistan and China.

Gap in UAV Systems

• U.S. increasingly important for power plants and electronic payloads.

• Growing gap between American systems and those made by Russia and China.

• U.S. falling behind China and Türkiye in UAV export market due to MTCR adherence.

India’s Approach to Drones

• Relies on imports, joint ventures, and domestic production.

• Should leverage technological advancements to become a supplier of fixed-wing UAVs for the Indo-Pacific region.

China Factor

• Countries with strained relations need Maritime Domain Awareness to counter China’s ‘gray-zone’ warfare.

• Israel unlikely to be a reliable supplier, Türkiye primary option for high-performance, cost-effective systems.

Contested Space

• U.S.-shaped drone market vacuum in Indo-Pacific becoming contested.

India Drone Diplomacy is important topic for Civil service exam (WBCS).

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