NEW DELHI: Turkish drones , extensively used by the Pakistani army during the recent limited conflict with India, came into prominence for the first time when Ukraine used them to destroy Russian defence assets in the initial phases of Russia-Ukraine war.
However, these drones, which can stay airborne for up to 27 hours, as claimed by their manufacturer, failed to penetrate targets when Russia bolstered its air defence. Ukraine, as per reports, has since been using them for reconnaissance and repositioning its artillery. India may have learnt a lesson from the Ukraine war, it seems, as it destroyed Turkish drones as well as China's missiles midair, thus denying the advantage that Pakistan had hoped to gain by unleashing them in swarms in retaliation against Operation Sindoor .
True, the drones supplied to Pakistan by Turkiye - which under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been nursing the dream of becoming the new leader of the Muslim world - were not of the same calibre as the ones it had sold Ukraine but it was pointed out that they were taken out mostly by cheaper 'Made-in India' drones - a blow to Erdogan's aspiration to emerge as the new Caliph.
No wonder Turkiye deputed a junior representative for India's defence ministry briefing on Operation Sindoor - a move seen as frustration over its drones' failure.
The Indian armed forces also have sophisticated and deadly Israeli Harop drones, also known as "loitering munition", which identifies a target and crashes into it with loaded explosives. These have proved to be a potent weapon in India's arsenal, with some of them believed to have destroyed Pakistan's air-defence systems and key military sites during May 7-10 conflict.
However, these drones, which can stay airborne for up to 27 hours, as claimed by their manufacturer, failed to penetrate targets when Russia bolstered its air defence. Ukraine, as per reports, has since been using them for reconnaissance and repositioning its artillery. India may have learnt a lesson from the Ukraine war, it seems, as it destroyed Turkish drones as well as China's missiles midair, thus denying the advantage that Pakistan had hoped to gain by unleashing them in swarms in retaliation against Operation Sindoor .
True, the drones supplied to Pakistan by Turkiye - which under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been nursing the dream of becoming the new leader of the Muslim world - were not of the same calibre as the ones it had sold Ukraine but it was pointed out that they were taken out mostly by cheaper 'Made-in India' drones - a blow to Erdogan's aspiration to emerge as the new Caliph.
No wonder Turkiye deputed a junior representative for India's defence ministry briefing on Operation Sindoor - a move seen as frustration over its drones' failure.
The Indian armed forces also have sophisticated and deadly Israeli Harop drones, also known as "loitering munition", which identifies a target and crashes into it with loaded explosives. These have proved to be a potent weapon in India's arsenal, with some of them believed to have destroyed Pakistan's air-defence systems and key military sites during May 7-10 conflict.
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