The Predator deal first took root in the erstwhile Trump administration. The procurement is being done as India faces a war-like situation on two fronts — Pakistan and China. It's important for India to acquire these armed drones as its own indigenous capability is limited. Meanwhile, both Beijing and Islamabad operate Chinese-made armed drones. Pakistan is also eyeing to acquire some armed drones from Turkey.
India is the third largest importer of military grade UAVs, with 6. MQ-9A continues to improve and evolve, making it more relevant for its customers' emerging needs.
The MQ-9A Extended Range ER was designed with field-retrofittable capabilities such as wing-borne fuel pods and a new reinforced landing gear that extends the aircraft's already impressive endurance from 27 hours to 34 hours, while further increasing its operational flexibility. The company has also talked of developing it for use a platform to detect naval mines.
The MQ-9B is equipped with a powerful radar to scan the ocean surface and can carry sonobuoys to detect submarines. The Reaper and Predator can remain airborne for several hours at a time, relying back data to operators and planners. The Reaper can also use its missiles to hit 'targets of opportunities' such as terrorists on the move or missile systems. This included modifying the weapon systems and communications equipment. If confirmed, the deal for 30 drones will make India one of the largest operators of the MQ-9A Reaper family.
The expected deal with the US comes as Pakistan is expecting delivery of Chinese-built drones that can carry missiles. Over the past 12 months, a US drone strike was believed to have killed 30 farm workers in Afghanistan ; up to 11 civilians were killed in a US drone strike in the south of Libya. The US operates a policy of signature or pattern targeting, in which strikes are launched at places where targets are believed to gather, although this can easily lead to mistakes.
That idea appears to be spreading: the UAE is accused of operating a double tap strike in Libya this August, which killed 45 people including guests from a nearby wedding who had come over to help. The UK was not at war in Syria at the time, but then-prime minister David Cameron asserted he had the power to make the decision to target him. The long term question is whether humans will be removed from the loop — the science fiction nightmare where AI-powered drones will select and lock on to targets with no human oversight.
There is no shortage of speculation about the topic and concern about the idea, but as yet little evidence of the use of drones, particularly lethal drones, being governed solely by computer. Nevertheless, the medium-term risk remains, and there is a campaign — Stop Killer Robots — hoping to halt their development with a global treaty, that is opposed by the US, Russia and China. Experts now hope to introduce rules for autonomous warfare, but as with drone technology itself, there is no serious attempt to halt development — or proliferation.
Drone Illustration: Guardian Design. What is a drone? How many military drones are out there?
0コメント