The government has decided to expedite the induction of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), hoping these will help paramilitary forces take on the Maoists, make the war theatre transparent and reduce casualties.
[indianexpress.com] Trials of Israeli UAVs will be conducted by paramilitary forces in Dantewada on April 14 and these will be inducted into the theatre within the next four months. These UAVs, which will be purchased for the CRPF, BSF and ITBP, will only be for surveillance and not armed with weapons.
Despite the huge loss of lives in Dantewada today, the government has kept the armed forces out of the fight against the Maoists, only requesting the IAF for Mi-17 helicopters for evacuation. Till date, the Home Ministry has not used any IAF UAV for surveillance purposes in the Maoist theatre.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/UAV-trials-begin-in-Dantewada-next-week/601239
