SOURCE: AFI
In a forthright interview with ANI, retired Air Marshal Dilip Kumar Patnaik has sharply criticized the acquisition of Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) by India, labeling them as “costly toys” unsuitable for operations in contested airspace. His comments bring to light significant concerns regarding the strategic and tactical utility of these drones in light of India’s regional security challenges.
Patnaik, who has a distinguished career including command over major military operations, argued that the Predator UAVs are not designed for environments where adversaries like China and Pakistan might challenge air superiority. “These drones can only be used effectively in un-contested airspace,” he stated, suggesting that their operational limitations make them vulnerable in scenarios where air defense systems are active.
“They will be picked up and taken down by our neighbors,” Patnaik warned, emphasizing the risk of these high-value assets becoming targets for enemy forces. His critique extends to the cost-effectiveness of the deal, highlighting that the substantial investment in Predators could be better utilized elsewhere, particularly in acquiring more agile, lower-cost drone technologies.
He proposed the adoption of swarm drones, which he describes as having a higher survival rate in contested environments due to their numbers, cost-efficiency, and the distributed nature of their operations. “For the same amount of money, we could have bought swarm drones that would give us a much better chance in hostile skies,” Patnaik asserted, pointing out that these could potentially overwhelm adversary defenses through sheer numbers and coordination.