Indian Army orders 840 one-way attack drones from Tata, Nibe for ₹1,577 crore

Synopsis

The Indian Army has contracted for domestically produced one-way attack drones. These drones will be acquired within the next twelve months under fast-track procedures. Tata Advanced Systems and Nibe will supply 840 long-range attack drones. These systems are designed to strike targets over one hundred kilometers away. The drones will be tasked to neutralize enemy artillery positions deep across borders.

The Indian Army has contracted for domestically produced one-way attack drones

New Delhi: The Indian Army has signed contracts worth ₹1,577 crore to acquire domestically produced one-way attack drones within the next 12 months.

This is the first major order for drones under the fast-track procedure, which enables the armed forces to quickly place orders with supplies to start within six months of the contract signing.

The contracts, awarded to Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) and Nibe, will give the army 840 long-range attack drones capable of striking targets at a range of over 100 km and operating in environments with dense jamming and spoofing.

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Following trials and technical evaluation, TASL emerged as the lowest bidder when the commercial bids were opened, followed by Nibe Defence.

As per the contract, the deal will be split between the two companies, with Tata slated to supply 64% of the order and Nibe the rest.

One-way attack drones or loitering munitions have emerged as a key component of modern warfare, with the systems causing extensive damage during the Ukraine-Russia war as well as the West Asia conflict.

The low-cost systems being acquired by the army have been designed to be resistant to jamming and spoofing, incorporating lessons learnt during 'Operation Sindoor'.

Extensive trials of the systems were caried out under trying conditions, including a jamming environment right from takeoff.

Also Read: Army eyes one-way desi drones with 1,000-km strike envelope

The drones are set to be tasked to take down enemy artillery positions deep across the border.

Several major orders for one-way attack drones are under process currently, including systems that can strike targets over 1,500 km away.