New Delhi: India has taken another visible step toward next‑generation drone warfare with the induction of the Berkut‑BM attack drone into its military inventory. Built in Belarus, the jet‑powered system represents a change in how the country is preparing for future battle scenarios.
Recent conflicts have demonstrated the growing battlefield value of single‑use attack drones, especially in missions that demand speed, accuracy and minimal response time from the enemy.
The Berkut‑BM is designed as a high‑speed strike platform rather than a surveillance drone. It is powered by a jet engine, which allows it to travel far faster than propeller‑driven unmanned systems.
The drone can reach speeds close to Mach 0.34 and is capable of hitting critical targets within minutes of launch. Its operational range stretches to nearly 150 kilometres, enabling it to engage both fixed installations and moving assets located deep across hostile territory.
Military planners see its greatest advantage in the narrow reaction window it creates for the adversary. The drone’s speed reduces the time available for target evacuation or concealment. Air defence systems also face difficulty in activating and locking onto such a fast‑approaching threat. This compressed timeline increases the probability of mission success, particularly in precision strike operations.
Defence assessments indicate that the drone has been engineered for rapid entry into contested airspace followed by a terminal dive onto the designated target. The strike sequence happens quickly, leaving little scope for interception. Such capabilities have become increasingly relevant in modern warfare, where the side that acts faster often dictates the battle outcome.
The technological roots of the Berkut‑BM show the long‑standing defence cooperation between Russia and Belarus. Operational lessons drawn from the Ukraine war played a role in refining this category of drones. Russian forces relied on single‑use attack drones during that war, and jet‑powered variants demonstrated enhanced strike effectiveness.
Similar systems, including fast attack drones deployed in the conflict zone, reinforced the view that future wars will feature high‑speed unmanned strike platforms in prominent roles.
For India, the induction carries both tactical and strategic implications. The platform strengthens the country’s ability to conduct time‑sensitive precision strikes. It supports a broader shift toward network‑centric warfare, where real‑time intelligence links directly to rapid attack capability.
Defence observers believe such systems could prove decisive in the early phases of a conflict, when disabling key enemy assets quickly can alter the course of engagement.
The arrival of the Berkut‑BM therefore marks more than the addition of a new weapon. It reflects a doctrinal transition within India’s military planning. Speed‑driven precision, surprise and stand‑off strike capacity are becoming central to operational thinking.
As unmanned combat technologies continue to evolve, platforms like the Berkut‑BM are expected to describe how future battles are fought and decided.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
