IN FOCUS: Small drones, big damage – how these unmanned weapons are reshaping wars

Channel NewsAsia | Natasha Ganesan

Unmanned aerial vehicles are rapidly reshaping global warfare as cheap, asymmetric systems destroy high-value military assets from Ukraine to the Middle East. To counter these evolving threats, the United Kingdom is investing over £5 billion in drone capabilities, while South Korea plans to acquire 20,000 military drones to fend off North Korean threats.

These strategic acquisitions reflect a broader global shift toward integrating low-cost commercial technologies with conventional military hardware to offset resource and manpower limitations. In response, the Singapore Armed Forces is developing a "high-low" capability mix, training recruits in drone operations, and deploying specialized platforms like the Hermes 900 and Veloce 60 to maintain its technological edge amid projected domestic manpower shortages. However, defense experts caution that while these expendable platforms excel at tactical reconnaissance and precision strikes, they cannot entirely replace manned forces or heavy missile systems on the modern battlefield.

Comment

The proliferation of low-cost, expendable unmanned systems along contested borders demands a rapid overhaul of India's air defence doctrine. Relying on expensive surface-to-air missile systems like the S-400 to intercept cheap quadcopters is economically unsustainable. The Indian Army must fast-track the induction of directed-energy weapons and electronic jammers at the tactical level. Integrating these kinetic and non-kinetic counters into forward formations remains critical to securing the Line of Actual Control.

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