Army unveils future blueprint for drones, loitering munitions requirements to industry, academia

 Lt Gen Rahul R Singh | Photo Credit: X.com/@adgpi

The Indian Army on Monday for the first time released a domain-specific futuristic document that lays down a long-term business roadmap for unmanned aerial systems and loitering munitions to the industry and academia for enhancing its war-fighting capabilities.

The roadmap, released by Lt Gen Rahul R Singh, Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Capability Development & Sustenance), provides clear, actionable visibility to industry, academia and R&D institutions, enabling them to channelise investments, time, energy and technological efforts towards priority areas identified by the Army. Major General CS Mann, Additional Director General (ADG) of the Indian Army Design Bureau (ADB), was also present at the function for the release of ‘Indian Army’s Technology Roadmap for Unmanned Aerial Systems and Loitering Munitions’.

The document, conceived and prepared by the ADB, offers a forward-looking strategic vision which aims to harness indigenous capabilities with the evolving requirements of modern warfare. It’s meant to create an indigenous ecosystem for the most prominent weapon system defence forces across the world are using in warfare, amplified during the ongoing US-Israel and Iran conflict, said Army officials.

The roadmap covers a comprehensive spectrum of operational needs for Unmanned Aerial Systems and Loitering Munitions. It gives details of the platform requirement, including the ‘special role’ the Indian Army envisages in combat and access pathways for industry as well as private and state-owned academia.

Since the document contains confidential information, including the requirements, only selective pages are being shared with the stakeholders to offer them an understanding of the business needs and how to proceed with it, said Army sources.

The requirement is segregated into three: unmanned systems needed for ‘surveillance,’ ‘loitering munitions’ and for ‘air defence role’. 

The Army is looking for UAVs, including with capacity for High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE), Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE), High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS), Medium Altitude Persistent Surveillance System (MAPSS), and Unmanned Air Littoral System (UALS), which serves replacement to traditional helicopters and aircrafts, for long, medium and short-range surveillance.

Sources said some of the platform options are also meant to undo import dependence and fill inventory with the latest versions of unmanned systems for enhanced war-fighting capabilities.

Similarly, they want long, medium and short-range loitering munitions, other than a swarm drone for surveillance and a strike FPV drone with strike capability. And for air defence roles, the Army wants drones against drones, in an anti-swarm role, and UALs as aircraft and helicopter emulators, which are unmanned helicopter or aircraft. 

To list ‘special role’ envisaged, the Army is looking for UAS in a “mother-child configuration”. This means that a mother drone carries and controls child drones for operations. The child drones are unleashed mid-air for executing specific roles.

Another of a dozen special roles scripted in the vision document is for a “UALS in a MUM-T” role for helicopters and AFVs. It combines two ideas -- systems that launch, control, and support unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), especially smaller tactical drones, in a Manned-Unmanned Teaming. The concept is for manned platforms like helicopters or armoured vehicles to operate alongside drones and loitering munitions.

By clearly laying down technological and operational priorities, the blueprint seeks to serve as a critical bridge between operational requirements and technological development, ensuring that India’s drone ecosystem evolves in a structured, demand-driven manner, said Army sources.

Published on April 6, 2026