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Indian Army's Drone Arsenal: 850 Kamikaze Drones for Rs 2000 Crore Amid Lessons from Operation Sindoor

The Indian Army is moving fast to significantly boost its drone capabilities. It's set to buy 850 indigenous kamikaze drones, also called loitering munitions, in a deal worth Rs 2000 crore. This decision comes directly from the successful use of drones in the retaliatory Operation Sindoor against terrorist targets. The new drones will equip all three defence forces and special forces, with dedicated platoons formed to operate them.

Key Points: Indian Army to Buy 850 Kamikaze Drones Worth Rs 2000 Crore

  • Army proposal is at an advanced stage awaiting Defence Acquisition Council clearance
  • New Ashni platoons in infantry battalions will operate these drones
  • Drones proved highly effective in Operation Sindoor, causing heavy enemy damage
  • Army plans a massive future induction of around 30,000 loitering munitions
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Indian Army to buy 850 Kamikaze drones worth Rs 2000 crore

The Indian Army is set to acquire 850 indigenous kamikaze drones under fast-track procedures, a major boost following lessons from Operation Sindoor.

"The Indian Army heavily utilised drones to target terror headquarters inside Pakistan during Operation Sidoor. - Defence sources"

By Ajit Dubey, New Delhi, December 19

As part of lessons learnt from Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army is all set to buy 850 kamikaze drones, which will be used to equip all three defence forces and the special forces.

The Indian Army proposal is at an advanced stage of acquisition. It is likely to be cleared soon by a high-level meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council scheduled to be held in the last week of this month, Defence sources informed ANI.

As per the proposal to be implemented under the fast-track procedures by the force, the Army will get around 850 loitering munitions along with launchers from indigenous sources, they said.

The Indian Army uses a large number of loitering munitions acquired from different sources and is now looking to induct around 30,000 of them in the near future to equip all its fighting forces, they said.

The Army infantry battalions will now have one Ashni platoon each, which will be responsible for operating drones to be used against enemy locations and also in counterinsurgency roles, they said.

The Indian Army heavily utilised drones to target terror headquarters inside Pakistan during Operation Sidoor. India took out seven of the nine terrorist targets on the first day of the operation, which was conducted in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.

Later on, the drones were also used against the Pakistan Army, which came out strongly to defend the terrorists backed by it.

The number of casualties in Army strikes was very high and caused heavy damage to the enemy infrastructure on the borders, they said.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
While strengthening defence is important, Rs 2000 crore is a massive amount. I hope there is complete transparency in this acquisition process and the funds are used optimally. The DAC must ensure rigorous checks.
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Rohit P
Finally! Our soldiers deserve the best tech to protect our borders. The Pahalgam attack was horrific. If these drones can prevent such tragedies and protect our jawans, every rupee is well spent. Salute to the Indian Army.
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Ananya R
Good step, but I have a question. The article says "indigenous sources". Are these truly Made in India drones, or just assembled here? We need to build our own R&D and manufacturing capability, not just be an assembly line.
K
Karthik V
The fact that each infantry battalion will have a dedicated drone platoon (Ashni platoon) is a game-changer. This modernizes our entire force structure. Hope the training is as robust as the equipment.
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Michael C
Interesting read. The shift towards loitering munitions is a global trend. 30,000 in the future is a huge number. It shows India is seriously preparing for modern asymmetric threats. The key will be integration and tactics.

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