Two Drones Shot Down Near Mumbai Base, Navy on High Alert

The Indian Navy foiled an attempted drone attack on its naval base in Mumbai on Saturday, shooting down two unidentified drones that were spotted near the perimeter of the base. The incident comes less than a week after a similar attack on an air force station in Jammu, which injured two personnel and damaged a building.

According to a navy spokesperson, the drones were detected by the Naval Anti Drone System (NADS), which is an indigenous system developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The NADS can instantly detect and jam micro drones and also use a laser-based kill mechanism to terminate targets.

The spokesperson said that the navy has enhanced its security and surveillance measures in the wake of the Jammu attack, which is suspected to be the first use of drones for terrorism in India. The Jammu attack has triggered a nationwide alert and prompted the security forces to acquire and deploy more anti-drone systems across sensitive installations.

The navy has also ordered more NADS platforms from BEL, worth Rs 140 crore, to strengthen its unmanned warfare capabilities. The NADS was first deployed during the Republic Day parade this year and later during the Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech at the Red Fort.

The use of drones for surveillance and combat has emerged as a new challenge for the Indian military, which is also developing its own swarm drones and armed drones to counter the threat. The army chief, Gen MM Naravane, has said that the future of warfare will involve disruptive technologies such as drones and that the army is ready to deal with them.