India is stepping up the modernisation of its armed forces with a major investment in loitering munitions, commonly described as kamikaze or suicide drones. The Defence Ministry has signed two contracts worth a combined ₹1,577 crore for the Indian Army, marking a significant expansion of the country’s focus on unmanned systems and precision-strike warfare.

The contracts cover loitering munition systems along with associated equipment and have been placed with Indian defence manufacturers. The acquisition is intended to strengthen the Army’s ability to conduct precision strikes while improving the effectiveness of artillery formations and other battlefield units.

The move comes at a time when unmanned aerial systems are rapidly changing the character of warfare. Conflicts around the world have demonstrated how relatively small and comparatively low-cost drones can be used for surveillance, targeting and precision attacks. Their growing presence has encouraged militaries to develop larger and more sophisticated drone fleets capable of supporting troops across different operational environments.

Two Contracts Worth ₹1,577 Crore

The Defence Ministry has entered into two separate agreements with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd and Nibe Pvt Ltd for the supply of loitering munition systems and related equipment.

The combined value of the contracts is ₹1,577 crore. The procurement has been undertaken from Indian vendors through the government’s “Buy Indian” category and a fast-track procurement process.

The acquisition is aimed at enhancing the Army’s precision-strike capabilities, particularly within its artillery formations. Loitering munitions can remain airborne while searching for or waiting for an appropriate target before being directed toward it.

Unlike conventional artillery ammunition, these systems combine characteristics of drones and precision weapons. They can provide forces with a means of identifying and engaging targets without necessarily requiring a manned aircraft to operate directly over the battlefield.

The Defence Ministry has described the systems as important equipment for strengthening artillery regiments and improving the Army’s overall operational effectiveness.

Why Kamikaze Drones Are Becoming Important

Loitering munitions have become increasingly important in modern military operations because they can perform several tasks within a single platform.

A conventional drone may primarily be used for surveillance or reconnaissance, while a conventional weapon is designed mainly to strike a target. A loitering munition can combine these functions by allowing an operator to search for a target before directing the weapon toward it.

This gives commanders greater flexibility during combat operations. The systems can potentially be deployed against selected battlefield targets while reducing the need to expose manned platforms to certain risks.

The increasing use of drones in international conflicts has also highlighted their ability to influence battlefield tactics. Surveillance drones can provide real-time information, while armed and loitering systems can rapidly convert that information into a strike capability.

For the Indian Army, the latest procurement therefore represents more than the purchase of another weapon system. It forms part of a broader effort to integrate unmanned technologies into conventional military formations.

Army Planning a Larger Unmanned Warfare Network

The Army’s requirements extend well beyond kamikaze drones. Its technology roadmap for unmanned aerial systems and loitering munitions covers around 80 different types of unmanned platforms designed for specialised military roles.

These include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, precision strikes, ammunition delivery, air-defence support, electronic jamming, mine warfare, communications and data relay, as well as logistics.

The Army is also looking at different categories of surveillance platforms, including high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial systems, medium-altitude long-endurance systems and other advanced platforms capable of supporting operations over extended periods.

The broader objective is to create a network of unmanned systems that can support soldiers and commanders at multiple levels of the battlefield.

Focus on Short-, Medium- and Long-Range Strike Systems

The Army’s plans include loitering munitions capable of operating at different ranges. It is also looking at drone swarms, first-person-view drones with strike capabilities and other unmanned systems designed for specialised combat roles.

Drone swarms are particularly significant because they can involve multiple unmanned platforms operating together. Such systems can potentially be used for surveillance and coordinated strike missions, creating new challenges for traditional air-defence systems.

The Army is also exploring specialised unmanned platforms configured for hunter-killer missions and systems capable of carrying guided or unguided bombs.

The combination of surveillance, targeting and strike capabilities is part of a wider shift toward technology-enabled warfare in which information can be collected, analysed and converted into battlefield action more rapidly.

Lessons From Recent Global Conflicts

The expansion of India’s drone capabilities is taking place against the backdrop of rapid developments in unmanned warfare across several international conflicts.

Recent wars have demonstrated that drones can play an important role in identifying enemy positions, monitoring troop movements, attacking equipment and supporting artillery operations. The increasing availability of commercially derived technologies has also lowered some barriers to the development and deployment of unmanned systems.

For military planners, this has created a requirement for both offensive and defensive drone capabilities.

The Indian Army is therefore seeking not only systems capable of carrying out precision strikes but also technologies that can provide surveillance, communications, electronic warfare and other battlefield functions.

The changing nature of warfare has made unmanned systems an increasingly important part of military planning, particularly for operations requiring rapid response and precision engagement.

Push for Indigenous Defence Production

The latest contracts also underline India’s continuing effort to reduce dependence on foreign defence suppliers by expanding domestic manufacturing capabilities.

The contracts have been awarded to Indian companies under the Buy Indian procurement category, aligning the acquisition with the broader objective of strengthening domestic defence production.

The government has increasingly encouraged Indian manufacturers and technology companies to participate in defence production, particularly in emerging areas such as drones, counter-drone systems, artificial intelligence and autonomous platforms.

The growth of the domestic drone industry could also provide opportunities for Indian companies to develop systems specifically suited to the country’s operational requirements.

Rajnath Singh’s Vision for India as a Drone Manufacturing Hub

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has previously stressed the need for India to develop into a major global centre for drone manufacturing by 2030.

The latest procurement fits into that wider vision. Rather than treating drones only as individual military platforms, India is increasingly looking at unmanned technology as an important part of its future defence-industrial ecosystem.

A stronger domestic drone industry could support the armed forces while also creating manufacturing, research and technology-development capabilities within the country.

The approach is particularly relevant as military drones become increasingly sophisticated and their applications expand beyond basic surveillance.

Defence Forces Vision 2047

The Army’s plans for unmanned systems are also connected with its longer-term modernisation objectives.

The Defence Forces Vision 2047 roadmap seeks to prepare India’s armed forces for future conflicts by increasing the use of technology and improving their ability to operate across multiple domains.

Unmanned aerial systems are expected to play an important role in this transformation. Their potential applications range from battlefield surveillance and precision strikes to logistics, electronic warfare and communications.

The objective is to build a military that can respond more quickly to changing battlefield conditions while making greater use of data, automation and networked technologies.

A Significant Step in Army Modernisation

The ₹1,577 crore procurement represents an important step in the Indian Army’s expanding reliance on unmanned systems.

The acquisition will strengthen the Army’s precision-strike capabilities while supporting the development of a larger ecosystem of indigenous military drones. It also reflects a broader recognition that future battlefields are likely to rely heavily on unmanned platforms operating alongside conventional soldiers, artillery, aircraft and other weapons.

As India continues to develop its domestic defence industry, the demand for advanced drones and loitering munitions is expected to remain an important part of military modernisation.

The latest contracts therefore have significance beyond their immediate financial value. They signal India’s effort to adapt its armed forces to a battlefield increasingly shaped by drones, precision weapons, automation and rapid technological change.