Drone warfare has emerged as a new challenge across the globe. This has been once again brought to the fore by National Security Guard (NSG) Director General MA Ganapathi, who on Saturday said that the NSG was fully capable of handling it. A few days earlier, there were media reports of drones used by the Chinese military were flying close to the Indian border in the Ladakh sector. According to the NSG chief, every security force needs to upgrade its capability to counter-drone technology. Drones are an easy way to create mischief, to drop bombs and payload like weapons and ammunition. Meanwhile, the Indian Army has put drones at work to monitor Chinese activity along the Line of Actual Control. The Indian Army has also recently acquired drones for meeting the Chinese challenge. It may be recalled that drones like Firebee were used by American forces in Vietnam for their Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions at the peak of the Cold War. But, while drones like Firebee had an endurance of about 75 minutes only, modern drones can remain in the sky for several hours at a stretch and perform tasks that a manned military aircraft can normally do. Some drones, like Harop, have been so designed that they can even carry out suicide missions. Armed with sophisticated guided missiles can hover around targets for hours and provide vital intelligence inputs before performing any kind of offensive action. Moreover, drones that today can land and take off from surface vessels can be a game-changer for maritime forces. Recent advancements in technology have made unmanned systems an attractive option for short and limited conflicts, and most countries in the northern hemisphere are today seeking and using armed drones. The US has been using weaponized drones or Unmanned Aerial Combat Vehicles (UACV) for close to two decades now. It was in 2000 that the US Predator drone helped identify Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan following which he was attacked and killed. At that time, however, the drone was not weaponized for offensive action. But, today's drone can carry sniper attacks on individuals or a group of people with perfection, thus causing concern all over. It is good news that Indian security agencies including the Army, IAF, Navy and the NSG are today equipped with the latest state-of-the-art drones. Simultaneously, they are also well equipped to effectively deal with drone attacks with various counter-drone equipment like radars, jammers and drone-killing guns. But then, humanity would benefit most not by weaponizing drones, but by using them for peaceful and developmental activities.