{
  "id": 8720699,
  "title": "AASHVAST: 6 high tech Army labs to to weed out foreign bugs from drones, CCTV cameras",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/aashvast-6-high-tech-army-labs-to-to-weed-out-foreign-bugs-from",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-20T16:07:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express - India",
    "slug": "the-indian-express-india",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/india/indian-army-establishing-six-aashvast-labs-drone-cctv-firmware-vulnerability-analysis-chinese-components-dg-eme-10886499/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Indian Army is set to establish six AASHVAST labs nationwide, tasked with identifying and eliminating firmware-level vulnerabilities in all future drones and, eventually, CCTV cameras. This initiative, designed to enhance cyber resilience and operational readiness, marks the first of its kind in the nation. The first lab, inaugurated in Delhi, will undergo a rigorous testing process to detect vulnerabilities that could compromise drone performance in contested zones.\n\nDeveloped by QuickPay Pvt Ltd for the Directorate General of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, AASHVAST is a Firmware Analysis and Validation Suite. This software goes beyond physical inspections, scrutinizing the software that governs unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to uncover hidden threats. AASHVAST is capable of detecting 14 types of vulnerabilities, such as geospatial issues, hidden codes, time and location bugs, and foreign-origin components.\n\nThe Indian Army has issued a Request for Proposal to procure customized licensed software for the validation of firmware and embedded systems in electronic components. The lab's primary focus will be on drones procured by the Army, but in the future, it will also inspect CCTV cameras for potential Chinese proprietary protocols or equivalents.\n\nThe establishment of these labs aims to neutralize the risks associated with enemy interference in Indian drones, ensuring they can effectively perform their designated tasks. With approximately 14 types of vulnerabilities to check, AASHVAST will play a crucial role in safeguarding national security interests, particularly in light of concerns over the use of Chinese components in military drones.",
  "summary": "The Indian Army is set to establish six state-of-the-art AASHVAST labs across the country, which will conduct mandatory inspections of all its drones and, in the future, its CCTV cameras. The labs, developed by QuickPay Pvt Ltd for the Directorate General of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (DG EME), will focus on identifying and eliminating firmware-level vulnerabilities that could compromise the drones' performance in contested zones. AASHVAST, a Firmware Analysis and Validation Suite, will not only physically inspect the drones but also examine the software that operates them. The first lab has been inaugurated in Delhi, with plans to establish at least five more in the coming months. The initiative aims to enhance cyber resilience, promote the domestic defence ecosystem, and address concerns over the use of Chinese components in military drones, particularly along the eastern borders.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Business Insider",
        "title": "Half the drones in a recent US Army combat exercise were designed to be expendable",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/half-the-drones-in-a-recent-us-army-combat-exercise-were-designed-to",
        "published": "2026-09-20T12:47:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "6 high tech Army labs to to weed out foreign bugs from drones, CCTV cameras",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/6-high-tech-army-labs-to-to-weed-out-foreign-bugs-from-drones-cctv",
        "published": "2026-09-20T16:07:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Amnesty report on Maiduguri barracks deaths from 2016, not recent — Army",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/amnesty-report-on-maiduguri-barracks-deaths-from-2016-not-recent-army",
        "published": "2026-09-20T19:40:43.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}