Israeli armed Heron drones to be inducted into the Indian arsenal

India had drawn up plans to acquire Israeli Herons three years ago and, the military has now approached the government to speed up the acquisition process because neighbors Pakistan and China have developed their own drone warfare capabilities.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 22 September 2015.

India has already deployed Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for reconnaissance purposes in the rugged mountains of Kashmir as well as on the disputed border with China where the two armies have faced off against each other.
However, possession of armed drones would allow the military to carry out strikes overseas with less risk to personnel. The Indian government has already approved the request of the Indian Air Force to acquire 10 Heron TP drones from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) – these can be fitted with weapons to engage targets on the ground. The tentative plan is to buy Herons in a deal estimated at $400 million.
In the opinion of defense experts, the armed Herons that are likely to enter Indian service by late 2016 will impart the air force with deep-strike capabilities.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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