NEW DELHI: The government has begun the process of procuring a compact drone system for the Indian Air Force’s elite Special Forces unit that can operate in harsh environmental conditions, at altitudes up to 16,400 feet above sea level, according to officials.
The planned system is intended for “high-altitude surveillance” and operational support across a range of terrain and weather conditions. Its range and endurance level are also expected to be greater compared to the current system, they said.
The Ministry of Defense recently issued a request for information for procurement of ‘Micro UAV’ system for the Indian Air Force’s Garud Special Forces.
The proposed system should also be able to support day and night surveillance, target identification and real-time situational awareness, officials said.
They said the Micro UAV system is seen as a compact, lightweight and portable platform designed for special forces operations.
An elite unit of the Indian Air Force currently has a “similar system” and the new system will be an upgraded system and an “Indian-made system with the latest specifications”, a senior official familiar with the project said.
The official added: “The system is required to operate in harsh environmental conditions, including temperatures ranging from minus 20 degrees Celsius to more than 50 degrees Celsius, and at altitudes of up to 16,400 feet above average sea level.”
The proposed system is also expected to have a greater range as well as an enhanced capability level, they said.
Another official with knowledge of the matter shared some key performance measures as planned.
The second official said the mission should have a minimum range of 15 kilometers, a survivability of at least 60 minutes, and the ability to “operate with a two-person crew.”
In simple terms, a portable system that can be operated by a two-person crew means that two people can carry the platform.
The system should also be able to operate in non-GPS environments and be scalable to suit India’s regional satellite navigation system, officials said.
The aircraft must also feature autonomous vertical take-off and landing capability, secure encrypted communication links, and must have “multiple operating modes” including autonomous, manual and target tracking modes, they said.
Officials added that the proposed system will include multiple integrated components such as air vehicles, ground control systems, remote video terminals, electro-optical or infrared payloads, power systems, field repair kits and radio frequency data links.
This project aims to enhance the operational capability of the Indian Air Force and enhance domestic defense manufacturing, while reducing dependence on foreign systems.
The second official said the funding request prioritizes Indian vendors, including startups and small and medium-sized enterprises, and encourages the development of local industrial capacity, including life cycle support and obsolescence management within India.
Sellers are required to specify levels of original content, demonstrate capability for home maintenance, repair, and refurbishment, and provide details of locally developed subsystems and software.
The RFI emphasizes procurement under the ‘Buy’ or ‘Buy Indian’ categories with the condition of ‘minimum 60 per cent local content’, the senior official familiar with the project said.
IDDM is an acronym for “Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured”.
This initiative is in line with India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and seeks to promote indigenous design, development and manufacturing in the defense sector.
Earlier this month, a senior official said the government envisioned designing and developing a combat search and rescue drone for the IAF that could be used for flight crew rescue missions without risking piloted aircraft.
The project, envisioned under the 2020 Defense Acquisition Procedures, has been “approved in principle,” the senior official said.
The indigenous autonomous system, as planned, should also be a platform that can be deployed to transport logistics and other supplies in forward areas and inhospitable terrain, including snow-covered highlands, where conventional helicopters struggle, they said.
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