The Indian Air Force (IAF) has initiated a major project to jointly develop indigenous long-range kamikaze drones with domestic Indian partners, preparing for future drone-centric warfare.
Project Details
Aiming to create a fully indigenous ecosystem for the design, development, manufacturing, and sustainment of kamikaze drones, the IAF has issued a limited tender to select Indian companies for one-way attack unmanned aerial systems (OWA-UAS). These kamikaze drones are self-sacrificing unmanned aerial vehicles that fly to a target area, locate enemies, and detonate on impact.
The tender states an invitation for bids for the indigenous design, development, setting up of manufacturing facilities, and training for unmanned aerial systems. To promote self-reliance (Atmanirbharta) in defence production, the project will be managed by the 5 Base Repair Depot (BRD) at Sulur near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, designated as the nodal agency.
Intellectual Property and Specifications
Under the specifications, the IAF will retain Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of the drone platform, which is to be designed, developed, and manufactured entirely in India with the help of home-grown companies and startups. The kamikaze drones must be able to operate up to 16,000 feet and function both day and night. The project will enable faster upgrades, modifications, and customization as per operational needs.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently stated that recent global conflicts prove drones and counter-drone technologies will play a pivotal role in future warfare, making self-reliance in drone manufacturing essential.
Additional Context
At least 10 bids have been received from Indian private and public sector firms by the defence ministry for the race to manufacture 87 medium-altitude long-range endurance unmanned aerial vehicles for the IAF. This mega project is valued at around Rs 30,000 crore, with Tuesday being the last day for bid submission. The project was cleared by the ministry last year to promote Indian manufacturers in building drones for surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike capabilities.
