Amid standoff, India and China have increased the use of drones for surveillance on each other in eastern Ladakh. Indian military has been directed to increase their usage for more intelligence on confrontation areas. Here’s a list of the machines used by both countries:

​The Israeli Heron

Israeli Heron ‘Medium Altitude Long Endurance’ drone is used in strategic and tactical missions. It is capable of operations up to 45 hours and up to 35,000 feet, with a range of 1,000 km. Surveillance is done through direct line of sight or satellite communications.

​The Frontline Warrior

Indian Army has been using quadcopters for a while now. It has limited capability but can give clear coverage of an area. It goes to a certain height and scans the complete area with its day/ night cameras. Mostly used for stealth missions.

​China Steps Up Surveillance

PLA reportedly used thermal-imaging drones to track down Indian troops before the June 15 clash in Galwan Valley. Earlier this year, China deployed Mavic-2 Enterprise drones equipped with thermal imaging technology to detect those having fever to tackle COVID-19. China could be using the same drone in the border now.

​Wing Loong Armed Drone

There is Wing Loong 1 and Wing Loong 2, which is an improved version of the former. Both fall in the ‘medium altitude long endurance’ category. The Wing Loong-2 can carry 12 laser-guided bombs or missiles, can be fitted with different weapons for combat and strike missions.