Coming on the heels of the 2017 Doklam stand-off, the latest intrusion by a neighbouring country in the Galwan Valley and the ensuing loss of precious Indian lives is a stark reminder that China trusted. Despite ongoing high-level talks to defuse the situation, satellite imagery has revealed that Chinese troops had deliberately crossed the LAC with construction equipment and heavy vehicles.
The presence of Indian troops in the region and regular foot patrols by the Indian Army provide the much-needed on-ground intelligence. The inhospitable terrain of the area with sub-zero temperatures and intractable mountain ridges make the collection of intelligence an arduous task, beset with danger and risk of exposure to a hostile neighbour.
According to unnamed sources, the Indian military’s need for a high altitude, long endurance Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform is being progressed with the United States having approved the sale of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian to India. An unmanned aerial platform like the MQ-9B with similar or better sensor capabilities as a Low Earth Orbit satellite, and being able to transmit surveillance data to ground forces and command centers in near-real time is the need of the hour. It is understood that this platform equipped with long range optical and infra-red cameras, ground surveillance radar, signal and electronic intelligence sensors can provide Indian ground forces with real time monitoring of the contested border areas. Thereby ensuring advance information to our ground forces. With its long range and endurance (over 35 hours), the MQ-9B can indeed be the ‘Game Changer’ in such a scenario.