“Flying from here, the drone can cover both the adversaries in the same sortie itself,” Rana said while highlighting the major strengths of the latest unmanned machine of the force. Defence officials said the drones are capable of being equipped with weapons, and work towards weaponising them is in progress. India Inducts New Strike-Capable Heron Mark 2 Drones at Forward Air Base in Northern Sector To Cover Both Adversaries (Watch Video).
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has inducted the high-endurance 'Heron Mark 2' drones, which can cover the border areas along China and Pakistan in a single sortie. The satellite-operated Heron Mark 2 can be weaponised to carry missiles and other payload.
The drones with satellite communication capability have given a long desired capability to the Indian Air Force, as its drones can operate at very long distances for close to 36 hours at a stretch and can also laser illuminate enemy targets from very long ranges to help fighter aircraft destroy them using their long-range weapons.