Kamal Ghorui
New Delhi: The Indian Army has issued its first comprehensive technology roadmap for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and loitering munitions, towards providing long-term visibility of the force’s requirements in the field of UAS. The nearly 50-page document ‘Indian Army’s Technology Roadmap for Unmanned Aerial Systems and Loitering Munitions’, which was released by Lt Gen Rahul R Singh, deputy chief of the army staff (capability development & sustenance) in New Delhi on April 6, 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. The Indian Army’s roadmap lists 30 types of UAS and loitering munitions across five categories: surveillance, loitering munitions, air defence roles, special roles, and logistics.Designed as a forward-looking strategic document, it aims to harness indigenous capabilities with the evolving requirements of modern warfare. It also integrates lessons from recent conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war and West Asia conflict, where unmanned systems have had a significant impact. By clearly laying down technological and operational priorities, the document 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. The initiative is also expected to catalyse greater participation from startups, MSMEs and academia, while encouraging long-term investments in this critical and emerging technology.At the event, Lt Gen Rahul R Singh cautioned about the sensitive nature of the document and urged stakeholders not to share it with unauthorised persons. Pakistan and China may want to lay their hands on this document, he said, urging extreme caution.Citing the West Asia conflict, he pointed to the deployment of Iran-made Shahed-136 drones and America’s “reverse-engineered” inexpensive drone, LUCAS (Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System), designed to counter Iran’s attack. “We all need to be aware of this and much, much more to make sure that in case there is a conflict, we act as a well-oiled machine,” Lt Gen Singh said. He described the services, industry and academia as a “troika” and asserted that the engagement between the army and the industry has grown manifold in the past few years.Maj Gen C S Mann, ADG, Army Design Bureau, said this is the first time the army has shared such specifications related to the domain of UAS and loitering munitions, reflecting the importance attached to these capabilities.The document mentions details such as equipment name, type, expected life cycle, approximate quantity and information on its variants.
