New Delhi | In a major step toward future-ready warfare, the Indian Army has released its first comprehensive technology roadmap for drones and loitering munitions, marking a significant shift in how the force plans to integrate unmanned systems into modern combat operations.
The roadmap was launched at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi in collaboration with the Drone Federation of India and has been developed by the Army Design Bureau. It outlines a structured vision for 30 different drone and loitering munition platforms, grouped into five key operational categories.
Focus on Future Warfare Requirements
The roadmap reflects the growing importance of unmanned systems in modern conflicts, drawing lessons from recent global wars where drones have played a decisive role in surveillance, precision strikes, logistics, and electronic warfare.
Senior Army officials said the document is designed to align industry development with military requirements, ensuring faster innovation and better operational readiness.
Lieutenant General Rahul Singh, Deputy Chief of the Army Staff, noted that recent conflicts have clearly demonstrated the critical role of unmanned systems in modern battlefields. He said the roadmap would help strengthen collaboration between the armed forces and the defence industry.
30 Platforms Across Five Categories
The roadmap includes 30 types of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and loitering munitions across five broad roles:
- Surveillance and reconnaissance
- Strike and attack missions
- Logistics and supply delivery
- Air defence support roles
- Specialized operational applications
These systems are being designed with advanced features such as extended range, higher endurance, artificial intelligence integration, anti-jamming capabilities, autonomous navigation, and swarm operations.
Shift Toward Indigenous Defence Ecosystem
A key objective of the roadmap is to boost indigenous defence manufacturing and reduce dependency on foreign suppliers. The Army has emphasized that future systems must be designed and developed within India, strengthening the domestic defence industrial base.
Officials from the Army Design Bureau highlighted that this is the first time such a detailed and consolidated requirement document has been released for unmanned systems, replacing earlier fragmented procurement requests.
Bridging Army–Industry Gap
Drone Federation of India President Smit Shah said the roadmap provides clear direction to startups, defence companies, and research institutions, enabling them to align their innovations with the Army’s operational needs.
The initiative is expected to reduce mismatch between industry-developed solutions and actual military requirements, while accelerating procurement and deployment cycles.
Loitering Munitions and Modern Combat Role
The roadmap also places strong emphasis on loitering munitions—commonly known as “kamikaze drones”—which can hover over target areas before striking with precision. These systems are increasingly being seen as a cost-effective and high-impact tool in modern warfare.
Building a Network-Centric Force
The Army stated that future warfare will be network-driven, where real-time data sharing, AI-based decision-making, and multi-domain coordination across land, air, sea, cyber, and space will define operational success.
By formalizing this roadmap, the Indian Army aims to ensure faster technology adoption, stronger coordination with industry, and enhanced battlefield preparedness for future conflicts.
