India's airstrike on Pakistan: Drones and warplanes in action

India claims that the airstrike achieved its intended goal of neutralising the infrastructure of terrorist groups. Pakistan, on the other hand, reports shooting down five Indian Air Force planes. However, it is important to note that available evidence in the form of photos and footage of the wreckage suggests the loss of at least two aircraft, while data from India mentions three aircraft. It is possible that these are Mirage 2000 and Rafale.

Furthermore, the wreckage of Warmate drones was found in the Punjab province, indicating that they supplemented the airstrike. Some are in pieces, but one intact specimen was found and documented in a photo. This is not surprising since India boasted about receiving a shipment of Warmate drones in 2022.

Warmate-3 drones represent the latest generation of loitering munition systems from Poland. They feature carbon fibre wings that reduce the weight of the structure and allow for carrying heavier combat warheads weighing up to 3 kg. Such payloads are currently preferred by clients of the WB Group, the producer of these drones.

Warmate drones are characterised by a high degree of autonomy, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence algorithms, enabling them to attack targets protected by electronic warfare systems. Although improvised solutions also aim for such advancement, due to the lack of software standardisation, the effects vary, and fibre-optic control reduces range and payload capacity.

Warmate is a lightweight drone weighing 5.5 kg with a wingspan of 1.5 metres. It can remain airborne for 30 minutes. Powered by an electric motor, combined with a composite fuselage and wings, its radar, thermal, and acoustic signatures are very low. For this reason, it poses a challenge even to modern Russian anti-aircraft systems such as Pantsir-S1.

The maximum range of the Warmate drone is around 80 km, but the effective operational range is limited to about 30 km due to radio communication range. Its payload is modular and can include: a reconnaissance camera warhead, a fragmentation-explosive warhead comparable in power to an 82 mm mortar shell, a thermobaric warhead, particularly effective in enclosed spaces, and an anti-tank shaped charge warhead.

The Polish drone can deliver its payload with an accuracy of less than 1.5 metres, which is its circular error probable, and its flight speed during the attack phase is 150 km/h. Additionally, these drones can form swarms, enabling coordinated attacks on a target from different directions.