‘Drones are evolutionary, not...’: IAF chief rules out separate drone force, stresses integrated Ops

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Saturday said drones were ‘evolutionary’ rather than ‘revolutionary’ for the force and ruled out the creation of a separate drone force, stressing that unmanned systems and loitering munitions would be more effective when integrated with other weapons and platforms. Addressing the IAF’s annual press conference in New Delhi, Singh said drone capabilities had existed within the Indian Air Force for decades and were now being expanded in terms of numbers, types and capabilities. “Drones are not revolutionary to the Indian Air Force, but evolutionary. We are growing the number of drones and loitering munitions. Whether we need a separate drone force, I don’t think so. They should be a part of the same setup, and we have to be operating together”, Singh said.