UAVs & UCAVs are the new emerging threat since they claim a large share of combat responsibilities in the entire air spectrum. The battlefield today has become much more complex than it used to be with the advancement of UAVs and UCAVs.

A simple thing that was once a DIY toy was able to blow up half the crude oil production of Saudi Arabia. UAVs or drones that improved our day-to-day life through mapping and logistics can now be programmed to remotely destroy the things.

Due to their small size and weight, low-radar cross-sections, high altitude operations, low-acoustic signal, state-of-the-art Early Warning Suites, steep design and standout capabilities, the UAVs are difficult to detect and therefore highly sustainable. Modern drones could stay in the air for more than 24 hours, giving them a chance to strike repeatedly, even fleeting targets faster than the manned warplanes.

This new form of warfare has come under the spotlight since the recent drone attack on oil facilities of Saudi Arabia and it seems India is also working on unmanned drones in its enemy territory. Solar-powered High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) UAV, developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) flies at 20 plus kilometers in the stratosphere and they are the game changers which could also be used in Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.

In short, UAVs are the most precise, powerful and effective tools in a war based on Intelligence with minimum collateral damage against a covert enemy.