JOIN USDrone attack in Aramco units opens up security queries
The wave of drone attacks in two Saudi Aramco facilities last week has thrown up questions in India about the pros and cons of these flying machines.
In India, drones are referred to as Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs) — in official parlance, while internationally these are also referred to as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
Yemen rebel group Houthis, that claimed responsibility for the attack on Saudi Arabia’s key oil plants in Aqbaik and Khurais, has reportedly used 10 drones.
Not only the attack has destabilised the Middle East and the Gulf, it has severely disrupted the oil supply of Saudi Aramco, that accounts for 5% of the global oil supplies.
According to reports, Houthi rebels have been using small and medium-sized UAVs for reconnaissance, surveillance and suicide attack.
But the incident has raised concerns around the world and in India over the unchecked use of drones.
Shirish Inamdar, a faculty at Pune-based Maharashtra Intelligence Academy, said that the issue is serious and if drones get into wrong hands it could rein in trouble for security agencies.
“There has to be regulation, registration, licensing at every level — production, sales and use,” he said, adding that it does not just pose a terror threat, but other issues as well.
“Drones can be used to invade privacy, espionage, corporate espionage...and in case of mass use of drones, it would be difficult to control,” said Inamdar, who has retired as additional deputy commissioner of State Intelligence Department.
On the issue of the destructive power of drones, veteran civil and military aviation expert Pulak Sen said that drones are the modern war platforms, seldom detectable by radars.
“It was used by the US in Afghanistan and before that in the Gulf wars. Drones are successfully used to target and destroy enemy targets without loss of lives on the predator’s side. The recent Saudi attack proves that the drone has enhanced the range of 100 plus kms,” said Sen, founder, MRO Association of India.
The manufacturers of drones should try their best to do only institutional sales and see that these lethal weapons do not fall into wrong hands, he warned.
Several security experts said that it should not be used in a way that has a potential threat perception. “One has to factor in multiple security scenarios before opening up the sector, there are various concerns...there may be DGCA norms that are in place but a drone can easily be procured and used illegally,” a senior Mumbai police officer said.