Army sets sights on indigenous suicide drones that can hit deep into enemy territory

New Delhi: Army is looking for a family of indigenous loitering munitions that can strike with precision deep into enemy territory and are capable of operating in environments with heavy jamming and spoofing. Tenders for the mega project are expected to be issued shortly, with the industry gearing up to offer indigenously designed and developed systems, said people familiar with the development.

While the initial contract is valued at ₹2,000 crore, the project is likely to be expanded manifold in the coming years, as the Army is looking to equip several units with similar equipment which is capable of carrying out both shallow and deep strikes across the border.

Several Indian companies will be in the fray for the order, which involves offering an indigenous platform to avoid dependence on foreign sources, according to the people. Once placed, the order is expected to open up an industrial ecosystem capable of manufacturing such systems at scale, when required by the Army, they said.

The tender will be issued under fast-track procedure that will enable the Army to conduct trials, shortlist and place orders within a matter of months, in contrast to the traditional procedure that can take up to two years for finalisation. Two Indian companies will eventually get orders under the project, the people said.

The order will be split 60:40 between the two lowest bidders who manage to clear specifications and trials, according to them.

Major players in the fray who have delivered such systems to the forces include Tata Advanced Systems, Adani Defence, Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd and Newspace Research and Technologies. Other companies likely to bid include Nibe Defence, Avision and SMPP.

Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi last year announced plans to integrate drones and loitering munitions and raise specialised drone units. He promulgated the ‘Eagle on every Arm’ concept to equip each soldier with a drone capability.