MQ-9 Reaper, left side, presented at ILA Berlin Airshow 2016 (Source: Boevaya mashina/Wikimedia)
The Indian Army monitors the Chinese PLA at the LAC with help from Indian Navy MQ-9A drones.
The Indian Army requesting the Indian Navy to assist in monitoring the Chinese PLA at the LAC is nothing new. In the past, the Indian Army used the P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft to monitor Chinese activity across the LAC.
The Indian Army and Navy are working together to challenge the People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Indian Navy’s MQ-9A drones, based at INS Rajali in Tamil Nadu, are said to have crossed the LAC, as revealed by open-source intelligence analyst Damien Symon, who accessed publicly available mission flight data. swarajyamag.com reports.
In 2020, India leased two MQ-9A drones from General Atomics, a US-based company, under a Company-Owned, Company-Operated (COCO) lease agreement to help with a military stand-off in eastern Ladakh.
The MQ-9A is a turboprop-powered aircraft that can carry up to 3,850 pounds of payload, including 3,000 pounds of external stores, and has unmatched operational flexibility thanks to a 27-hour endurance, a top speed of 240 KTAS and a maximum altitude of 50,000 feet.
The Indian Army monitors the Chinese PLA at the LAC with help from Indian Navy MQ-9A drones.
The Indian Army requesting the Indian Navy to assist in monitoring the Chinese PLA at the LAC is nothing new. In the past, the Indian Army used the P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft to monitor Chinese activity across the LAC.
The Indian Army and Navy are working together to challenge the People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Indian Navy’s MQ-9A drones, based at INS Rajali in Tamil Nadu, are said to have crossed the LAC, as revealed by open-source intelligence analyst Damien Symon, who accessed publicly available mission flight data. swarajyamag.com reports.
In 2020, India leased two MQ-9A drones from General Atomics, a US-based company, under a Company-Owned, Company-Operated (COCO) lease agreement to help with a military stand-off in eastern Ladakh.
The MQ-9A is a turboprop-powered aircraft that can carry up to 3,850 pounds of payload, including 3,000 pounds of external stores, and has unmatched operational flexibility thanks to a 27-hour endurance, a top speed of 240 KTAS and a maximum altitude of 50,000 feet.
India reportedly used the MQ-9A drone to monitor PLAN’s activities in the Indian Ocean, which has been growing. The on-the-ground situation picture is provided to the Indian Army by the MQ-9A drone.
The Indian Army has previously employed the Indian Navy’s P-8I maritime surveillance plane to monitor Chinese activities across the LAC.
India is on a mission to outdo China’s military dominance in the coming decades. Utilizing its vast human resources, cutting-edge technology, and burgeoning economy, India is striving to create a first-rate fighting force that can bring glory to the subcontinent.
Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, former Gorshkov (Source: gorbatuy111/Wikimedia)
The Indian defense ministry is upgrading its arsenal with advanced weapons systems, including aircraft carriers, ballistic missile submarines, cruise missiles, armed drones, and fighter jets. Furthermore, the country has committed billions of dollars towards strengthening its cybersecurity capabilities – a critical pillar in any successful modern warfare strategy.
To make this dream a reality, India has adopted many flamboyant tactics, such as funneling their efforts into developing hypersonic missiles capable of traveling five times faster than sound and creating an invincible “Integrated Combat Command System” that would connect each branch of the military under one network. Additionally, the nation has partnered with other countries to acquire sophisticated technology that will be incorporated into their equipment.
India also invests heavily in research and development for these fields to stay ahead of China’s advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum Computing (QC). Moreover, the country is pouring resources into robotic technologies such as autonomous vehicles for land or sea battles.
Through all these endeavors, India stands ready to face off against any hostile forces that would threaten its sovereignty or safety in the upcoming years – outshining even the mightiest powers with her bravado and tenacity.
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