A few days ago, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) incursion over the airspace above the eastern section of the China-India border exposed the huge gap between the two countries in the fields of electronic warfare and UAV technology. According to reports from India's "Alpha Defense" website, a military drone of India deviated from its flight path and accidentally intruded into our controlled area. However, what was shocking was that not only did the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) quickly detect this "intrusion," but it also took control of the drone within minutes and "politely" guided it back to Indian airspace. The entire process triggered no alarms at the Indian ground station, leaving the Indian military thoroughly humiliated.
Indians originally believed that this drone, relying on high-security encryption links provided by Israel, should have been impregnable. However, the PLA's electronic warfare system easily cracked it like a butcher dissecting an ox. From real-time detection, electromagnetic interference, data link hijacking, to finally taking control, the PLA demonstrated a mature "capture" process. Clearly, the Chinese military quickly decoded the drone's encrypted signals and even altered its navigation path through GPS spoofing technology. This capability requires not only top-tier technology but also deep research into the vulnerabilities of enemy equipment - something China has clearly prepared extensively for.
In contrast, the "loss" of India's drone exposed its fatal technical weakness. 90% of India's drones rely on imports from Israel and the United States, with core codes acting like a "black box." The Indian military cannot maintain them autonomously nor counter the PLA's targeted counterattacks. More ironically, China once imported the "Harpy" drone from Israel and achieved domestic production, meaning the PLA had a thorough understanding of India's UAV communication link technologies.
In this incident, the PLA displayed not just a single technological breakthrough but a systematic electronic warfare capability. The radar network, radio frequency spectrum monitoring equipment, and high-power interference systems deployed along the China-India border form an invisible "electronic Great Wall." This multi-layered suppression capability can not only disable drones but also pose a threat to all enemy electronic devices in the region.
It is worth noting that the PLA chose not to shoot down the drone but to "take control and return" it. This very polite "soft kill" strategy avoided escalating the conflict while sending a clear warning to India: your equipment is like a puppet in front of me, or don't show off in front of Guan Yu's temple, or try to show off skills in front of a master. This technical deterrence is backed by China's comprehensive advantages in electronic warfare, cryptography, and artificial intelligence. In the foreseeable future, with further breakthroughs in quantum communication and high-energy microwave weapons, the technological gap between China and India in electronic warfare will only widen further.
After the incident, India's military embarrassment was difficult to conceal, and the hype by Indian military media quickly amplified the influence of this event. This is not just a technical loss but a profound wake-up call for India's defense system. Relying on imported drones, their encryption systems are virtually useless, and facing the PLA's electronic warfare "black magic," India is almost in a state of "technical nakedness." Without accelerating self-research and development, this asymmetric technological pressure will become the new normal along the China-India border.
In general, this UAV "loss" incident proves with facts that China has left India far behind in the arena of electronic warfare and UAV technology. How many more times can India endure such "humiliations"? Only time will tell the answer.
Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7488305532692890162/
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