This monograph examines civil and military drone policies, organisational structures, technology development initiatives, ecosystems, strengths, challenges, and proposes a way forward. It recommends formulating a civil drone atmanirbharta policy, designating nodal ministry of drone technology, creating organisational structures for civil drone R&D, launching civil drone technology development initiatives and instituting course corrections in defence UAV development programs.
India's pursuit of Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence technology is a multi-faceted endeavour, requiring strategic vision, robust collaboration, sustained investment and a commitment to innovation.
The launch of the ADITI Scheme reflects the government’s commitment to promote innovations in defence technologies by Indian start-ups for the armed forces.
Sanur Sharma replies: The dimensions of modern warfare lie within a changing landscape of technology and defence frameworks. The war-fighting capabilities are continually changing with the introduction of new and disruptive technologies that harness the power of data and analytics to make predictions and work automatically.
R. Vignesh replies: Aircraft carriers are complex naval platforms that act as floating military airbases through which tactical airpower can be projected on distant shores. Ever since these ships emerged in the 1920s, they swiftly replaced the battleship as flagships of a nation’s naval might. These platforms can critically augment a navy’s tactical combat potential and strategic power projection capabilities. Due to this aircraft carriers are much sought by nations that can afford to procure and operate them.
Ajey Lele replies: Broadly, there are two main categories of hypersonic weapons, hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) and hypersonic cruise missiles. The HGVs are launched from a rocket towards the target, while hypersonic cruise missiles are powered by high-speed air-breathing engines called scramjets.
Empowering Indigenous Defence Innovation: The ADITI Scheme and DefConnect 2024
The launch of the ADITI Scheme reflects the government’s commitment to promote innovations in defence technologies by Indian start-ups for the armed forces.