A view of the reconstructed Turkish Yiha Kamikaze drone, which was neutralised by the Indian Army during Operation Sindoor, at an exhibition marking the Vijay Diwas celebrations. (Indian Army via PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: The Indian Army on Monday showcased a Turkish-made drone that was brought down by the Indian forces on May 10, the final day of the four-day conflict with Pakistan.The reconstructed, armed Yiiha drone was displayed at an event hosted by army chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, on the eve of the 54th Vijay Diwas, commemorating India’s decisive victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war. The Yiiha, a kamikaze-class drone displayed at the event, was flying at an altitude of around 2,000 metres on May 10. Launched from Lahore International Airport, its intended target was Jalandhar, according to military officials.The unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), carrying a 10-kg explosive payload, was brought down by the Army Air Defence (AAD). Remotely operated, it was designed to detonate on impact.The UCAV has a wingspan of about two metres and is powered by a two-stroke engine with a capacity of 170 cc.Kamikaze-class drones, also known as “suicide drones,” are weapon systems designed to loiter over a target area, searching for a suitable target before carrying out an attack.
Operation Sindoor
In response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, carrying out air strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It was followed by four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions, following a ceasefire request by Islamabad.Pakistan used a large number of Yiha single-use attack UCAVs to target various Indian military and civilian installations during the conflict.Almost all the Pakistani drones were shot down by the Indian military.(With PTI inputs)
