India alleges drones breaching its airspace

The Indian military has complained that Pakistani and Chinese spy drones are regularly straying into Indian airspace, striking a discordant note during this week’s summit between the two countries.

Over the past three years, India has experienced nearly 30 violations of its airspace by foreign aircraft, including unmanned aircraft from neighbouring countries, according to AK Antony, India’s defence minister.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – known as drones – and military aircraft had crossed into Indian airspace over the disputed Kashmir area of the Himalayas, he said, with most of the violations coming from Pakistan.

“The fact that these [violations] are happening is enough. Something needs to be done,” said Shashindra Pal Tyagi, former head of the Indian air force.

Their complaints came against the background of the three-day visit to India by Wen Jiabao, China’s premier, who preached partnership over bi-lateral rivalry in a warm address on local television.

However, Mr Wen acknowledged that the border dispute over the state of Arunachal Pradesh would “not easily be resolved”, and made no mention of the threat of terrorism, a key Indian concern.

A senior Pakistani official told the Financial Times that China was helping Pakistan to develop armed UAVs, providing support where Islamabad’s repeated requests for technology had been denied by the US.

“China is helping Pakistan in this area. Pakistan needs drones for its genuine defence purposes and our Chinese brothers have once again risen to our expectations,” the official said.

Indian military advisers are also worried about China’s development of drone technology. They are urging New Delhi’s defence establishment to invest in drones to patrol the Himalayas, the border with Pakistan and Maoist-held areas in India .

“China has announced to the whole world about the modernisation of its armed forces, so India needs to be prepared. Keep your gunpowder ready,” Mr Tyagi said. “China is getting aggressive; India will have to cope with the entire spectrum of threat.”

Serving commanders believe India has the capability to avoid the kind of humiliating defeat it suffered at the hands of the Chinese almost 50 years ago in a short-lived high altitude combat over the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

“India started [upgrading] its capabilities five or six years ago. China started before that. They have a lead over us,” PV Naik, head of the air force, told commanders earlier this month. “Our aim is to prevent a repeat of 1962. With the capabilities that we have built up and are in the process of building, a repeat of 1962 can never happen.”

US security experts have warned that Beijing has a number of UAVs under development. The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which takes a hawkish view towards China, claimed last month that China’s air force had deployed UAVs for reconnaissance and combat.

The People’s Liberation Army has left little doubt that some products are maturing. Two drones were on display at a military parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of Communist rule last year. At the Zhuhai Air Show last month, Chinese companies showed off no less than 25 different unmanned aerial vehicles.

Chinese security experts say UAVs are a vital part of the PLA’s effort to secure the country’s vast borders. They are expected to help locate US aircraft carriers in Asian waters, and patrol China’s disputed land borders.

VK Saraswat, adviser to Indian defence ministry, said India needed to speed up its own development of UAVs and take “a cue from the use of drones [by the US] in Afghanistan”.