Iran's low-cost Shahed drones inspired US's LUCAS. What's in India's drone armoury?
India Today
Low-cost drones are reshaping warfare, as seen in Ukraine for the last four years, and now in the Iran war. Iran's low-cost Shahed drones have inspired the US's LUCAS. In India, low-cost, deep-strike drone projects like Sheshnag-150 and Project KAL are picking pace.
In Iran's war with the US and Israel, low-cost drones have given Tehran unprecedented leverage. Iran's Shahed-136 drone has been the inspiration for indigenous models, costing between $20,000 and $50,000 per unit. In fact, the US's Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System, aka LUCAS drone, is based on the same design as Shahed. India, too, is ramping up its firepower capability with indigenous long-range strike drones.
Before proving its mettle in the current war, Iran's Shahed-136 drone made its mark in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, forcing Kyiv to spend millions in intercepting them. That Iran, a country without an effective air force, could hit deep inside countries, reveals the power of its drones and missiles. The US's low-cost LUCAS drones look very similar to Iran's Shahed-136.
Before the Ukraine-Russia war, it was the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh that showed how drones and loitering munitions could tilt the balance of military power. Azerbaijan won the war and its extensive use of drones, especially those from Israel and Turkey, is credited for its victory.
The newer dimension to this is low-cost drones that push the enemy into a financial and material attrition. For example, the Shahed-136 kamikaze drones cost anywhere between $20,000 to $50,000 each. But the US and Israel are spending millions on intercepting them. Each Patriot missile costs $4 million, while some interceptors could cost up to $12 million.
Therefore, low-cost drones and interceptors have become vital in modern warfare.
India has two low-cost long-range striking drone projects. While the Sheshnag-150 is being developed by Bengaluru-based startup NewSpace Research and Technologies (NRT), the second is Project KAL, by Noida-based IG Defence, The two would give the Indian armed forces a cost-effective edge to carry out precision attacks.
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