As PM Modi pushes for desi drones, army plans Rs 20k cr munitions, surveillance systems

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently emphasized India's need to develop indigenous drone and counter-drone systems during his Independence Day speech. This comes in the wake of the defense ministry's issuance of a massive single purchase order for 84 sets of loitering munition systems and 840 loitering munitions under a fast-track procedure to Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and NIBE Ltd. This order is part of a broader Rs 20,000 crore modernization program aimed at acquiring advanced indigenous loitering munitions, surveillance systems, and high-altitude unmanned aerial platforms to transition to drone-led network-centric warfare.

As nations like Ukraine, Russia, and Iran engage in drone conflicts, India is prioritizing the development of advanced and sophisticated drones to maintain a technological edge. To fulfill this objective, the Indian Army is also seeking ship-launched loitering munitions with a 1,000 km range, 9-hour loiter time, and a 15,000 ft flight altitude.

Sukaran Singh, CEO & MD of TASL, highlighted that their loitering munition system has undergone rigorous Army testing and successfully passed through high-altitude trials. The remaining contract, worth 36% of the total defense ministry order, will be provided by NIBE Ltd, which developed the Vayu Astra-1 system using technology transferred from Israel.