India eyes indigenous long-range drones: The Indian armed forces, having acquired locally developed loitering munitions, are now seeking domestic production of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance and combat operations.
The three service branches have identified a significant need for Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones to replace Israeli imports, even as previous attempts by government research institutions have not yielded viable alternatives.
Whilst the total military requirement extends to hundreds of units, the initial procurement will be more modest. The acquisition will be coordinated across all three services to fulfil the collective needs of the army, air force and navy.
Officials indicate that procurement plans are advancing for MALE drones through the Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) pathway, which mandates complete domestic production. At least one organisation has submitted comprehensive development proposals.
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An Indian manufacturer has approached the armed forces with a specific development proposal. Sources indicate that Nagpur-based Economic Explosives Limited (EEL) has initiated research work and submitted an IDDM proposal for MALE drone development.
The organisation has established India’s largest private sector drone testing facility, featuring a 1.4 km runway with supporting infrastructure.
The decision to pursue MALE drones through the priority IDDM route reflects growing confidence in domestic industrial capabilities, following successful delivery of loitering munitions under the Emergency Procurement (EP) scheme, which was established to rapidly develop capabilities against Chinese presence along the eastern border.