New Delhi: The army on Monday unveiled a key “technology roadmap” outlining technical and operational requirements in the domain of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and loitering munitions, amid the changing nature of warfare as seen in various conflicts.
The nearly 50-page document, intended for industry and academia, details 30 types of UAS and loitering munitions across five categories, translating into nearly 80 variants, a senior officer said.
The categories are surveillance, loitering munitions, unmanned aerial systems in air defence role, unmanned aerial systems in special role and logistics unmanned aerial systems.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of rapidly changing conflict dynamics, with the Russia-Ukraine war stretching into over four years and the ongoing West Asia conflict now continuing for over a month, underscoring the growing significance of unmanned systems on the battlefield.
Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance), Lt Gen Rahul R Singh, in his address at the launch event, cautioned about the sensitive nature of the document and urged stakeholders not to share it with unauthorised persons, citing the risk of it falling into the hands of an adversary.
Pakistan and China may want to lay their hands on this document, he said, urging extreme caution.
In his address, he also underlined the “rapidly changing” nature of modern warfare in the last few years and referred to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, the Russia-Ukraine war and the ongoing conflict in West Asia, noting how drones and other UAS have been used, bringing an element of asymmetry in warfare.
Citing the West Asia conflict, which began on February 18, 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.
The officer asked the defence industry to compete but also collaborate; secure supply chains to address potential areas of vulnerabilities; look for niche solutions; and be particular about meeting timelines.
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.
Work on preparing the document started after Operation Sindoor last year, a person familiar with the matter said.
Titled “Indian Army’s Technology Roadmap for Unmanned Aerial System & Loitering Munitions”, the document was launched at the event held at the Bharat Mandapam here.
The document provides visibility of long-term requirements of the army in the field of UAS and loiter munitions to the industry and academia, officials said.
The 30 types of UAS and loitering munitions mentioned in the critical document fall under the five categories — surveillance (eight types), loitering munitions (six), unmanned aerial systems in air defence role (three), unmanned aerial systems in special role (eleven) and logistics unmanned aerial systems (two), another senior official said, while making a power-point presentation at the event.
In surveillance category, the type of platforms which have been mentioned include high-altitude long endurance (HALE), medium-altitude long endurance (MALE); in loitering munitions these include low range loitering munition, swarm drone (surveillance and strike) and low-cost loiter munition; while the UAS in air defence role include types such as drone on drone and drone in anti-swarm role, according to he information shared by the army.
Besides, these types can be for different terrains, so it translates into nearly 80 variants, Mann said.
Drone Federation India (DFI) has assisted the army in preparing the document.
The document mentions details such as equipment name, type, expected life cycle, approximate quantity and information on its variants.
Senior army officials, along with representatives from the Drone Federation India (DFI), Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the defence industry, academia and R&D organisations attended the event.
In July 2025, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, at an event held at Manekshaw Centre here, had said conflicts globally have demonstrated how drones could “shift tactical balance disproportionately”, and asserted that self-reliance in UAVs and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) is a “strategic imperative” for India.
In his address, he had also said that Operation Sindoor had shown why indigenously developed UAS and C-UAS “built for our terrain and our needs are crucial.”
