Drone Technology - Drones and UAVs Types, Advantages

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are aircraft that operate without onboard crew or passengers. They can function as automated 'drones' or be controlled remotely as piloted vehicles (RPVs). Originally developed for military reconnaissance and combat operations since World War 1, the rapid technological advances have enabled the evolution of drones towards diverse civilian and commercial applications. Drones are now providing innovative solutions for sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, transportation and disaster response. India too aims to become a drone superpower, making and using drones for social and economic development.

Types of UAVs

Depending on the specific application or problem at hand, different types of drones can be utilised.

Applications of Drone Technology

Drones nowadays have applications for both military and civil purposes. Some of these applications are described below. 

Military Applications

Military drones can change the nature of warfare, making it more economical, precise, and efficient. This was observed in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. They can perform tasks such as:

• Surveillance and Reconnaissance: These drones can conduct surveillance missions by hovering over an area for an extended period. They provide real-time information on targets' positions, terrain, and enemy movements. 
  • The Israeli-made Heron drones used by the Indian Army can loiter for over 24 hours facilitating strategic monitoring of sensitive areas.
  • Drones, like the Nishant UAV used by the Indian Army and the MQ-1 Predator UAV used by the United States, provide real-time information on targets and terrain.
• Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV): These are the UAVs that are designed for combat operations, such as air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks. They can carry weapons such as missiles, bombs, and guns.
  • Examples: Shahed 129 (Iran), Ghatak (upcoming Indian UCAV), USAF Hunter-Killer (USA), etc. 
  • Swarm drones are a fleet of UAVs that work together to achieve a specific goal. 
    • Examples: Use by Israeli Defence forces in Gaza and by Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia’s Aramco installations. 
  • Kamikaze drones: These are drones that are loaded with explosives and crash into their targets, causing damage and destruction. They are also known as loitering munitions or suicide drones. 
    • Examples: Use of kamikaze drones in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. 

Civil Applications

UAVs are also used for non-military purposes, such as: 

• Aerial Surveying and Mapping: Fixed-wing UAVs like the Dhaksha (Indian multipurpose drone) offer high-resolution area imaging at 40% lower costs than satellite mapping for agriculture, disaster management, mining, forestry and urban planning. 
  • For instance, the Odisha Government conducted drone surveys of Puri's destruction following Cyclone Fani.
• Law enforcement and crowd management: Drones can be deployed for crowd monitoring and crime scene analysis as a means of smart policing, as used by the Mumbai Police. 
• Medical and Healthcare: Drones facilitate contactless delivery of medicines, vaccines, blood samples and organs in remote areas where road connectivity is limited. 
  • India's ‘Medicine from the Sky’ projects in Telangana and Arunachal Pradesh use drones to improve access and deliver medicines to primary healthcare facilities.
• Agriculture: Agricultural drones, equipped with multispectral sensors, are revolutionising farming by mapping soil and crop health at high resolutions. 
  • Trials by Mahindra Agri Solutions and Marut Drones increased yields and lowered cultivation costs for smallholder farmers in Punjab and Karnataka highlighting drones' productivity potential.
• Environment: Drones can significantly contribute to environmental conservation. 
  • For instance, drones have been used for data collection in the Panna Tiger Reserve and Kaziranga Forest, aiding in wildlife tracking and poaching prevention. 

Challenges of Drone Technology

As an emerging technology, drones bring forth a series of growing challenges that demand holistic solutions. 

• Privacy: Drones have high-resolution cameras that capture images and videos from great heights and can invade personal spaces and record without consent. 
• Ethical concerns: Drone applications in conflict zones provide tactical advantages, including precise strikes and reduced risk to military personnel.
  • This trend leads to discussions concerning the ethics of remote warfare when humans do not directly engage in battle.
• Environmental impact: Drones, especially fossil fuel-powered ones, contribute to carbon emissions and worsen climate change.
• Airspace issues: Since drones occupy airspace, with many able to reach heights rivalling those of a jet, concerns have been raised about drones causing disasters and emergencies.
• Legal and Regulatory: The advancement of drone technology has surpassed the development of legal and regulatory frameworks. Governments claim that targeted killings by drones are justified under international law.
  • The absence of clear guidelines raises questions about accountability and transparency.

Drone in India

India’s journey with UAVs began with the acquisition of the Israeli Searcher Mark 1 in 1998. Most of the UAVs of the Indian armed forces are procured from Israel and the USA. The drone market in India reached ₹29 billion ($370 million) in 2020 and is estimated to grow to ₹1.5 trillion ($19 billion) by 2026.

Initiatives in India

India aims to become a drone superpower by 2030, with a focus on indigenous development and manufacturing. The Indian government has launched several initiatives in this direction.

• Make in India Initiatives: It encourages domestic manufacturing and investment in the drone sector within the broader context of promoting indigenous manufacturing.
  • Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme provides financial aid to Indian drone manufacturers and covers drone-related software, aiming to boost domestic production.
• Drone (Amendment) Rules 2022: This simplifies regulations and licensing requirements for drone operations, reducing the number of permits and approvals.
  • Due to new rules, the remote pilot certificate (licence) will not be required from the Director General of Civil Aviation for flying micro and nano drones in India for non-commercial purposes. 
  • All other drone activities are permitted only after receiving the prior approvals. 
• Digital Sky Platform: It enables online applications for licensing to fly, manufacture, and other activities; and provides information on drones.
• Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Agricultural Drones: These SOPs guide the safe and effective use of agricultural drones, ensuring that they are used in compliance with regulations and best practices.
• Private Investments and Startups: 
  • Drone Shakti Scheme promotes drone technology and applications in India, encouraging startups to offer drone services.

Indigenous Drones

India has made significant progress in developing indigenous drones. Here are some examples:

Drone Technology - Drones and UAVs UPSC PYQs

Question 1: Who/What are the following and why have they been in the news recently? - ‘Predator’ drones (UPSC 2010)

Drone Technology - Drones and UAVs FAQs

Q1. What is drone and UAV technology?

Ans. A UAV, commonly known as a drone, unpiloted aerial vehicle, or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), has its flight controlled either autonomously by onboard computers or by the remote control of a pilot on the ground or in another vehicle.

Q2. What technology is used in drones?

Ans. While gyroscopes and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities make it easier to remotely control drones, GPS and LiDAR technology in stil drones with a strong sense of direction.

Q3. What is the main purpose of UAVs?

Ans. UAVs were originally used for military purposes but now they are also used for observation and tactical planning. This technology is now available for use in the emergency response field to assist the crew members.

Q4. What is the principle of drones?

Ans. The propeller converts the motion into lifting power. Because of the special shape of the blades, the air pressure is uneven on two sides while they are in motion, which creates lifting power. The principle can be easily modelled by Newton's third motion law and Bernoulli's principle.