Overview
- The Indian Army, which released the near 50-page roadmap on Monday in New Delhi, set out long-term needs for unmanned aerial systems and loitering munitions.
- The document maps 30 system types into about 80 variants across five roles that span surveillance, strike, air defence, special missions and logistics.
- Officials said only selected pages are being shared due to sensitivity, and Lt Gen Rahul R Singh urged stakeholders not to pass the details to unauthorised persons.
- The requirements cite high‑altitude long‑endurance aircraft, medium‑altitude systems, high‑altitude pseudo‑satellites, littoral unmanned aircraft, first‑person‑view strike drones, swarms, mother‑child configurations, manned‑unmanned teaming and counter‑drone tools such as sensors and jammers.
- Army sources pitched the roadmap as a demand signal rather than a purchase list, while officials told Hindustan Times the service plans phased induction over one to five years, including large numbers, subject to development, testing and future acquisition decisions.