NEW DELHI: In a sharp military escalation following Pakistan’s attempted strikes on military targets, India launched kamikaze drones on early Thursday morning and neutralised an air defence system in Lahore, the defence ministry said.
The counteroffensive came hours after Pakistan targeted 15 Indian locations across Jammu, Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat using missiles and drones. The Indian Air Defence, using S-400 missile systems , surface-to-air missiles , and integrated counter-UAS grids, successfully intercepted multiple threats.
The defence ministry confirmed that Indian armed forces responded by targeting air defence radars and missile systems in multiple locations across Pakistan.
One such precision strike destroyed a Pakistani air defence installation in Lahore, using loitering munitions known as kamikaze drones.
These drones, also called suicide drones, are designed to loiter in the air before striking targets with high precision, often exploding on impact.
What are kamikaze drones
Kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions, are fast emerging as a defining weapon in asymmetric and conventional warfare.
These drones are built to hover over a target area and crash into enemy assets once a target is identified — effectively turning themselves into explosive missiles.
Unlike traditional drones that return after surveillance or attacks, kamikaze drones are single-use weapons. Once launched, they do not come back.
Origins and name
The name "kamikaze" harks back to World War II, referencing Japanese suicide pilots who crashed their planes into enemy ships. However, modern kamikaze drones are remotely guided and do not involve any human onboard. They combine the functions of a drone and a missile, able to loiter, identify targets, and strike with precision.
How they work
Loitering munitions are launched from ground-based platforms or even vehicles. Once airborne, they can fly autonomously or be manually steered. These drones are equipped with electro-optical systems to locate targets, and they carry a small warhead to destroy or disable assets like radars, vehicles, or command posts.
Global use
Kamikaze drones have been used in conflicts across Ukraine, Syria, Armenia-Azerbaijan, and now increasingly in South Asia. Nations like the United States (Switchblade), Iran (Shahed), and Israel (Harop) have developed or deployed these weapons. India, too, has been developing and inducting loitering munitions into its armed forces.
The counteroffensive came hours after Pakistan targeted 15 Indian locations across Jammu, Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat using missiles and drones. The Indian Air Defence, using S-400 missile systems , surface-to-air missiles , and integrated counter-UAS grids, successfully intercepted multiple threats.
The defence ministry confirmed that Indian armed forces responded by targeting air defence radars and missile systems in multiple locations across Pakistan.
One such precision strike destroyed a Pakistani air defence installation in Lahore, using loitering munitions known as kamikaze drones.
These drones, also called suicide drones, are designed to loiter in the air before striking targets with high precision, often exploding on impact.
What are kamikaze drones
Kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions, are fast emerging as a defining weapon in asymmetric and conventional warfare.
These drones are built to hover over a target area and crash into enemy assets once a target is identified — effectively turning themselves into explosive missiles.
Unlike traditional drones that return after surveillance or attacks, kamikaze drones are single-use weapons. Once launched, they do not come back.
Origins and name
The name "kamikaze" harks back to World War II, referencing Japanese suicide pilots who crashed their planes into enemy ships. However, modern kamikaze drones are remotely guided and do not involve any human onboard. They combine the functions of a drone and a missile, able to loiter, identify targets, and strike with precision.
How they work
Loitering munitions are launched from ground-based platforms or even vehicles. Once airborne, they can fly autonomously or be manually steered. These drones are equipped with electro-optical systems to locate targets, and they carry a small warhead to destroy or disable assets like radars, vehicles, or command posts.
Global use
Kamikaze drones have been used in conflicts across Ukraine, Syria, Armenia-Azerbaijan, and now increasingly in South Asia. Nations like the United States (Switchblade), Iran (Shahed), and Israel (Harop) have developed or deployed these weapons. India, too, has been developing and inducting loitering munitions into its armed forces.
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