New Delhi: The Indian Army has released a comprehensive document outlining its future requirements for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and loitering munitions, marking a key step in strengthening India’s defence technology ecosystem.
Titled ‘Indian Army’s Technology Roadmap for Unmanned Aerial Systems and Loitering Munitions’, the document was released in New Delhi on Monday by Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh, Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance).
In a post on X, the Army stated that the roadmap provides long-term visibility of its capability needs in the unmanned systems domain.
It added that the document offers clear and actionable guidance to industry, academia, and research institutions, enabling them to align investments and technological efforts with identified priority areas.
According to the Army, the roadmap will act as a bridge between operational requirements and technological development. It said the initiative would help ensure that India’s drone ecosystem evolves in a structured and demand-driven manner.
Lieutenant General Singh highlighted the changing nature of modern warfare and noted that the role of drone technology has expanded significantly. He said recent conflicts had shown the importance of maintaining a balance between large-scale deployment and precision targeting.
The event saw participation from stakeholders across the armed forces, defence industry, start-ups, and academic institutions. The Army said the gathering reflected a whole-of-nation approach to building a resilient and self-reliant drone ecosystem under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
The roadmap categorises unmanned systems into five segments – surveillance, loitering munitions, air defence roles, special operations, and logistics- indicating a shift towards integrated and multi-role deployment across varied operational scenarios.
