i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I have taken efforts in this research paper. However, it would not have been possible
without the kind support and help of many individuals. I would like to extend my sincere
thanks to all of them.
Lastly I would especially like to thank all our course mates for stepping together to
discuss regarding the topic and encouraging me to carry on this topic.
It’s my pleasure to share the credit of this research paper among all the above mentioned
personalities. However, any mistake committed, solely remains the mistake of the author.
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ii
LIST OF FIGURES iv
LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS v
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Introduction of the Study 1
1.2 Statement of Problem 1
1.3 Objective of Study 2
1.4 Justification of the Study 2
1.5 Limitations of the Study 3
1.6 Research Methodology 3
1.7 Chapter Organization 3
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE 5
CHAPTER III UCAS/UAV/RPV 7
3.1 UCAS/UAV/RPV 8
3.2 Implications of Drones 8
3.3 Various uses in the Military Field 9
CHAPTER IV IMPLICATIONS OF UCAS/UAV/RPV IN NA 12
4.1 Disaster Management 12
4.2 Nature Conservation 12
4.3 Recce/Svl 13
iii
4.4 Border Surveillance 13
4.5 Medical Support/Rescue 13
CHAPTER V DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED AD SYSTEM INCLUDING
UCAS/UAV/RPV IN NA 14
5.1 RISTA 14
5.2 Weapon Delivery 14
5.3 Advantages of Use of Drones in NA AD 14
5.4 Problems 16
CHAPTER VI FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 17
6.1 Findings 17
6.2 Conclusion 17
6.3 Recommendation 18
REFERENCES 19
APPENDIX 20
iv
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned drone (US Air Force) 7
Figure 2 Military Recce RPV used by US Army 9
v
LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
AD Air Defense
Capt Captain
Col Colonel
En Enemy
GPS Global Positioning System
HQ Headquarter
Int Intelligence
KM Kilometer
NA Nepali Army
Recce Reconnaissance
RISTA Reconnaissance Intelligence Surveillance and Target Acquisition
RPV Remotely Piloted Vehicle
Svl Surveillance
UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
UAS Unmanned Aircraft System
UCAS Unmanned Combat Aircraft System
UK United Kingdom
VA Vulnerable Area
VP Vulnerable Point
1
“Brutality and injustice made us raise our hands towards the sky for years; God didn’t
respond us, but drones came to our rescue.”
― M.F. Moonzajer
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction of the Study
Drone is becoming an increasingly popular way to refer to the small (usually) helicopter-
like devices that are being flown by millions of people around the globe. However,
there’s a host of other terms used to describe them, which can make things a bit
confusing. Anything that can fly in the air without any one on board is generally termed
as drone. Basically they are just a slang used for indicating flying objects.
It does seem a bit strange to have the word “drone” used to not only cover a $30 hobby
aircraft that a child can fly, but to also describe a high-tech $10 million weapon used on a
battlefield. Those devices don’t exactly serve the same purpose (Herrick, 2017).
So coming to the conclusion of what every UAV is a drone but not every drone is a
UAV. The military significance of these unmanned aerial vehicles has been rising heavily
with advancement in military technology and sophistication of weapon system.
It is necessary to induct this system and technology in the context of our nation as well
regarding the possibilities it can have in this terrain.
1.2 Statement of Problem
With the progression in various remote systems in the world the battle today needs no
physical presence of men and troops on ground to combat adversaries. There are
intercontinental missiles which can hit a target thousands of miles away. There are drones
which can recce and attack its target in such a distance to achieve its ultimate goal.
2
Regarding the same dimension, this research has tried to find the solution for the
following queries:
1.2.1 What is the narration of UCAS/UAV/RPV?
1.2.2 What can be the implications of UCAS/UAV/RPV in NA?
1.2.3 What can be the ways to develop integrated AD system including
UCAS/UAV/RPV in NA?
1.3 Objective of Study
1.3.1 General Objective
In general, the study aims to analyze the implications of UCAS/UAV/RPV in NA and
uncover the ways to develop integrated AD system including UCAS/UAV/RPV.
1.3.2 Specific Objectives
More specifically, the research work is focused on:
[Link] To illustrate the narration UCAS/UAV/RPV.
[Link] To bring to light the implications of UCAS/UAV/RPV in NA.
[Link] To estimate the ways to develop integrated AD system including
UCAS/UAV/RPV in NA.
1.4 Justification of the Study
With the rising accessibility of drones, many of the most dangerous missions in the world
have been executed by drones these days, excluding military and defense purpose drones
are even used in the field of emergency response, disaster relief, humanitarian aid, nature
conservation, health care, agriculture, weather forecasting, infrastructural development,
tourism, hospitality sectors and many more making it as one of the most essential element
3
of today’s society. Therefore it’s exceedingly important to learn and find new perspective
of this technology and determine how it can affect our organization and its future.
1.5 Limitations of the Study
This study will mainly focus on secondary data collected from open sources. Various new
technologies are developing every day and severely classified if are made especially for
military purpose which is not included in this study.
Despite being one of the most significant subjects, there were some limitations regarding
the preparation of the paper. Some of the limitations are as follows.
1.5.1 The articles and sources available on the internet regarding UCAS/UAV/RPV
paved for the effectiveness of the research study.
1.5.2 The outsized reach of the topic restricted the field works and the research was
solely based on journals and articles available in the open sources.
1.5.3 Although playing a noteworthy role in defense, many aspects of drone which is
also been used for various humanitarian purpose has not been included in the study.
1.6 Research Methodology
The research work is primarily based on the detailed study of internet and documents
regarding UCAS/UAV/RPV. Similarly research is carried out with the articles published
on related subject. It is written analytically and in a descriptive way and the available data
are analyses to find out the solution to the research questions.
Various facts and figures, data and statistics are incorporated to make this research more
effective. In the study, the process of data collection plays a crucial role. The research
was prepared in a time frame of 6 weeks and all of the research work was done in the
premises of No 16 Brigade HQ.
4
1.7 Chapter Organization
The chapters of the research are organized as under:
Chapter I Introduction
Chapter II Literature Review
Chapter III UCAS/UAV/RPV
Chapter IV Implications of UCAS/UAV/RPV in NA
Chapter V Development of integrated AD system including UCAS/UAV/RPV in NA
Chapter VI Findings, Conclusion and Recommendations
5
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
According to the article Drone Technology by Herman Geller published in Built In The
term “drone” usually refers to any unpiloted aircraft. Sometimes referred to as
“Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" (UAVs), these crafts can carry out an impressive range of
tasks, ranging from military operations to package delivery. Drones can be as large as an
aircraft or as small as the palm of your hand. He has described the various types of drones
used in the world in accordance with its working features.
In a blog Types of Military Drones: The Best Technology Available Today by Jack Brown
published in Drone Lab UAVs can be used for autonomous flights, this being based on
pre-programmed flight plans, or through the help of more complex dynamic automation
systems. It is important to appreciate the increasing role of Unmanned Aircraft Systems
(UAS) in solving certain conflicts. Also, the execution of high-profile attacks is a very
important task for some modern day military planners. He has also describes the
categories of military drones like the Class III UAVs are usually referred to as Medium
Altitude Long Endurance, MALE systems as well as High Altitude Long Endurance
UAVs, HALEs. The MALEs are especially ideal for surveillance as well as
reconnaissance on a non-threatening area.
According to an article Drones: What are they and how do they work? published by BBC
in 2018 The US Army revealed in December that it was also developing new helicopter-
style drones with 1.8 gigapixel color cameras, which promised "an unprecedented
capability to track and monitor activity on the ground". The drones will take advantage of
the Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance-Imaging System first
or Argus-IS, which can provide real-time video streams at the rate of 10 frames a second.
The army said that was enough to track people and vehicles from altitudes above 20,000
feet (6.1km) across almost 65 square miles (168 sq km).
Various articles available in the open sources have briefly described the drone
technologies and their uses in various fields including defense being used in various
6
nations and how they are even creating security hazards in many cases. Although
acquiring plenty of data about the system, none of the paper or journals has illustrated the
proper application of UAV/RPV especially in the perspective of Nepal, this research
paper will be focusing the lapses found while reviewing various articles regarding this
topic.
7
CHAPTER III
UCAS/UAV/RPV
In aviation and in space, a drone refers to an unpiloted aircraft or spacecraft. Another
term for it is an "unmanned aerial vehicle," or UAV. On Earth, drones are often used for
military purposes because they don't put a pilot's life at risk in combat zones. In addition,
drones don't require rest, enabling them to fly as long as there is fuel in the craft and there
are no mechanical difficulties.
Technically speaking, spaceborne drones could include cargo spacecraft, satellites and
machines that leave Earth, although they aren't usually referred to as such. Perhaps the
best example of a drone in space is the U.S. military's mysterious X-37B spacecraft,
which has made multiple flights into orbit for hundreds of days at a time. Its mission is
highly classified, leading to speculation about what it is doing (Delonge, 2009).
Figure 1 RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned drone (US Air Force)
Source: Wall Street Journal
8
The most common usage of the term refers to an aircraft that can be remotely or
autonomously guided. Unfortunately, the only thing most experts can agree on with this
term is that a drone doesn’t have a pilot inside. Explicitly stating drones are slangs used
for any aerial objects ranging from a paper plane to space ships unless they are
motorized.
1.8 UCAS/UAV/RPV
1.8.1 UCAS
A UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) includes not only the UAV (or drone), but also the
person on the ground controlling the flight and the system in place that connects both of
them. Basically, the UAV is a component of the UAS, since it refers to only the
vehicle/aircraft itself. This system when used in a combat role for military purpose
becomes an UCAS (Unmanned Combat Aircraft Systems).
1.8.2 UAV
A UAV is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. They are able to fly remotely (such as with a
controller or tablet) or autonomously. UAVs need to have autonomous flight capabilities,
whereas drones do not. Therefore, all UAVs are drones but not vice versa. This indicates
using of artificial intelligence system in the unmanned aerial vehicle which can be used
for weather detection or many other purposes using GPS or sensors.
1.8.3 RPV
Now when it comes to handheld controller or a system that is remotely controlled by
someone who works as an unmanned pilot for the drone, it becomes a RPV. This is a
term coined after a reaction that stated the term UAV was not suitable for a vehicle which
has a wireless pilot in a controlling end governing the aerial object.
9
1.9 Implications of Drones
Being widely used in the world for various purposes like defense, emergency response,
disaster relief, humanitarian aid, nature conservation, health care, agriculture, weather
forecasting, infrastructural development, traffic management, tourism, hospitality sectors
and many more they play a inevitable role in defense today.
1.10 Various uses in the Military Field
Drones have an array of applications ranging from being mere hobby gadgets, to their
increased use in aerial photography and cinematography, to intelligence, mapping,
reconnaissance, rescue missions, and targeting destinations.
However, it is their use in military operations that are of interest to us today. As a matter
of fact, drone technology started in the military and nowadays there are several types of
military drones on use by various nations in the globe.
UAVs can be used for autonomous flights, this being based on pre-programmed flight
plans, or through the help of more complex dynamic automation systems. It is important
to appreciate the increasing role of UAS in solving certain conflicts. Also, the execution
of high-profile attacks is a very important task for some modern day military planners.
Figure 2 Military Recce RPV used by US Army
Source: CB Insights
10
Military spending also tends to come in larger increments, as a single US Predator
drone costs approximately $4 million, and total spending for the program is estimated at
a total of almost $2.4 billion and the global military spending on drones in a year is
estimated to be around $70 billion in a year in year 2020 (Joshi, 2019).
1.10.1 Recce
The major task of drone in today is recce and svl which provides aerial photographs and
real time information of the desired target to the operator and helps in planning and
execution of a mission.
1.10.2 Geographic Mapping
Drones with various technologies can be used to geographical mapping of an area of
interest to get the terrain features and estimate the amount of force required and scheme
of maneuver to be used in the specific geographical area.
1.10.3 Border Control and Svl
As many nations have conflicting borders with their neighbor drones can be effectively
used in monitoring the borders closely with minimum use of manpower and other human
assets.
1.10.4 Rescue mission
Whether be a military occasion or a humanitarian aid drones can be used for rescue
mission to evacuate trapped and wounded personals and civilians from conflict zone or a
disaster zone.
1.10.5 Target Acquisition
The continuous recce and svl of the area of operation can help achieve precise target
effectively which will help in further success of the mission. This can also provide the
situational awareness of the battle field and assist in battle damage assessment in the after
math of the action.
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1.10.6 Decoys
To deceive the enemy in various forms drones can be used as decoys before launching
the main attack or execution of the main mission forcing the adversary to counter the
drone attack and waste his asset or distract his attention.
1.10.7 Supervision
In any surgical or tactical missions the aerial svl of the area of operation enables the
commander to supervise his troops in the battle field.
1.10.8 Strikes
As many successful missions of aerial drone strikes have been executed in the globe, they
are the future of strikes which might replace sophisticated aircrafts in the future.
1.10.9 Precision Strike Monitoring
Supervision of troops and guidance can be done from aerial monitoring of the battle field
by drones during precision strikes which might have various effects during execution.
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CHAPTER IV
IMPLICATIONS OF UCAS/UAV/RPV IN NA
As all the military powers of the humanity have been changing dimension of weaponry
system and technology for defensive and offensive purposes. The first use of drones was
recorded when British and U.S. militaries started using very basic forms of drones in the
early 1940’s to spy on the Axis powers (Cho, 2107).
Drones come as a vital part of military capability today. They have played a ground
breaking role in surveillance and target mapping as well as precision strikes. They can be
used for varieties of offensive and defensive operations.
1.11 Disaster Management
Drones have proved useful during times of natural disaster and emergency responses. In
the aftermath of flood and earthquakes, UAVs can be used to assess damage, locate
victims, and deliver aid. And in certain circumstances, they are helping to prevent
disasters altogether. Use of thermal imaging in the drones can locate various fires in
forests and help control it on time.
They can be very useful in our geography in disaster management and relief distribution
where terrain restricts easy movement of relief and supplies via road network. They will
even be economic in comparison to aerial transports.
1.12 Nature Conservation
Poaching and climate change have a dramatic impact on the health of wildlife worldwide.
Thousands of species are estimated to go extinct each year. To help combat this trend,
conservationists are adopting innovative methods to protect and study global ecosystems.
In combination with geospatial imagery, drones are now used to monitor and track
animals.
13
As one of the prime secondary duty of NA use of drone in nature conservation has been
done some extent in certain conservation areas but need enhancing its capabilities and
scope further into this sector.
1.13 Recce/Svl
Recce and svl which provides aerial photographs and live footage of the desired target
and helps in planning and execution of a mission, drones can be used by national defense
bodies and security forces to acquire real time information of target.
This can be very effective for all the arms in the army for target acquisition and planning.
Svl can further help in supervision of precision strikes form the main HQs and allot
troops with required task.
1.14 Border Surveillance
There are ongoing border disputes in various regions of the nation with northern and
southern neighbors, employment of radars and other svl system in difficult geographical
regions located in the Himalayas is very difficult, so drone monitoring and svl of the
border can be of great advantage in a terrain specification like this.
1.15 Medical Support/Rescue
As military aid or humanitarian assistance, NA is deployed in various places for medical
assistance. The diverse and difficult terrain restricts motor movement in all the parts of
the nation. Basic medication can also be provided by drones which will reduce the
economy of effort and provide timely facility to the needy population.
This can also be of great advantage in the battle field for the transportation of medical
supplies and monitoring of medical necessities.
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CHAPTER V
DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED AD SYSTEM
INCLUDING UCAS/UAV/RPV IN NA
The military drones for various tasks can be inducted in the AD arm of the security forces
for enhancing the capabilities of the traditional weapon system. They can be used in
offensive as well as defensive responsibilities.
1.16 RISTA
The major task that a drone can perform in the Air Defense system in a smaller spectrum
is RISTA. Drones can be very useful in locating the threat and giving prior information to
the command post. They can operate in longer range cutting off the need of numbers of
observation posts and keeping men out of harm.
A battery each with adequate training and proficiency can be provided to each existing
AD battalion of the NA.
1.17 Weapon Delivery
Drones swarms are emerging air threat in the changing paradigm of the world. AD being
a protective measure in the battle, drones can be used to counter advanced adversaries in
their way. Drones can be used for weapon delivery against en svl system in the battle
scenario. Although swarms of drones can execute missions these days which can be
countered by laser or electronic counter measures, they can at least be detected well
ahead by the means of drone aerial recce.
A battery can be kept in reserve for the brigade to counter the en threat in case of
emergency. Time fuse can be used in load carrying drones to counter adversaries in the
air itself.
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1.18 Advantages of Use of Drones in NA AD
1.18.1 Capabilities
Drones can fly far distances and can cruise at high altitudes making them hard to detect
or track. They can record video or still images in daylight or infrared. They can also be
equipped with other capabilities, such as cell-phone interception technology, as well as
backend software tools for face recognition, and GPS trackers.
[Link] Portable
Being light in weight and minute in structure they are hard to detect and portable in
nature. They can be launched from any geographical location in a short duration of
engagement time.
[Link] Concealable
Structure of drones make them concealable in the aerial space in comparison to other
objects flying in the close vicinity. They are hard to detect and engage which enhances
the svl and recce capability of the initiator.
[Link] Inexpensive
The drones are inexpensive in comparison to other aerial objects and also durable in
nature. They can further be used in varieties of tasks and provide real time information.
[Link] Maneuver
With the multi wing capabilities they have high maneuverability, are stable and can take
off and land vertically enabling them to be deployed from any geographical structure
which is very suitable for a terrain like Nepal.
Fixed wing can fly at high altitude and give an impressive flight time in comparison to
rotors which will upgrade the area svl and target acquisition for the troops with less
human efforts.
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1.19 Problems
With advancement in technology highly professional troops are required to endeavor the
required aim. The major drawbacks that can be faced with incorporation of drones in AD
arm of NA are as follows.
1.19.1 Training
The major drawback that might be found in the drone is proper and efficient handling of
the equipment. High level of training is required to achieve good outcome. The training
can be provided by the training school currently function in NA.
1.19.2 Geography
They diverse geography might reduce the function range of the equipment and
endangering the drone into major accidents.
1.19.3 Maintenance
The maintenance of this power equipment will always be a challenge and skilled
manpower is required for proper maintenance.
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CHAPTER VI
FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1.20 Findings
Drones can be the future of air space. They can be employed with economy of effort and
reduce risk of men deploying in the field. They can increasingly operate with less and
less human intervention and be programmed to enter enemy airspace, crossing into well-
defended areas with decreased risk. Perhaps of greatest significance, many of them can
now fire weapons with little human intervention.
They can use camera with infrared and thermal imaging for various purposes. They can
be helpful for defensive as well as humanitarian sectors. They can vary in size according
to the task to be performed and can be used for a simple recce to executing a strike in
terms of military. Use of drone in NA can bring a ground breaking change in the
technology of the nation’s defence. They can be used by various sectors in the army
including the air defence primarily for RISTA and further for offensive use to some
extent.
1.21 Conclusion
Drones have considerably been used by various fields in the world today. They are an
enormous threat to air space and air defence which needs extensive defensive measure to
counter and mitigate it. The drones are harder to detect and difficult to detect than the
superior intercontinental ballistic missiles these days. Large drone swarms can destroy
strategic targets with a high end delusion in a short engagement time.
Integration of various defensive systems in the military is essential for the countering the
drone threat. It is highly recommended for NA to procure this system into the
organization to improve the defensive as well as offensive qualities of the nation’s
defensive force.
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1.22 Recommendation
The following recommendation has been derived from this research:
6.3.1 Drones can be inducted in the field of disaster management of NA which will be
economic for tracking and detection with the help of its thermal imaging sensors.
6.3.2 Drone although in use but still can be increased in the sector of nature
conservation enabling control of poaching and wildfire.
6.3.3 Svl of the borders can be done by drones in various parts of the nation like
Kalapani, Lipulek and Susta instead of deploying radars which can be of immense
complexity.
6.3.4 Drones can be used for RISTA in Air Defence, which will enhance the early
warning capability of the AD system.
6.3.5 Drones can be used to replace the OPs by establishing air OPs which will reduce
the work load and use of manpower.
6.3.6 High-quality training for operators and production of skilled manpower for
maintenance need to be provided by Air Defense Training School and Electronic and
Mechanical Engineering School respectively.
6.3.7 A drone battery each for every existing AD battalion can be provided for RISTA.
6.3.8 A battery of drones in attack role can be inducted in the AD brigade and kept as
reserve for the brigade.
6.3.9 Being economically productive, high in mobility and deployable in all the
geographic configuration, drones can be very effective in providing early warning for
VA/VP if inducted in the AD.
19
REFERENCES
[
Cho, R. (2107, 05 8). How Drones are Advancing Scientific Research. Retrieved 09 16,
2020, from State of the planets: [Link]
drones-are-advancing-scientific-research/
Delonge, H. (2009, 12 10). What are Drones? Retrieved 09 12, 2020, from Space:
[Link]
Herrick, S. (2017, 4 12). WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DRONE, UAV AND
UAS? Retrieved 09 12, 2020, from Botlink: [Link]
difference-between-a-drone-uav-and-uas
Joshi, D. (2019, 12 17). Drone technology uses and applications for commercial,
industrial and military drones in 2020 and the future. Retrieved 09 15, 2020, from
Business Insider: [Link]
applications#:~:text=Military%20usage%20of%20drones%20has,of%20the
%20military%20forces%20worldwide.
20
APPENDIX
Appendix A
Main Components of a UAV System