Indian Army seeks 2,715 drones to boost high-altitude supply lines

In an effort to modernise supply chains for troops stationed on the high Himalayan frontier, the Indian Army floated one outlet for 2,715 logistics drones on Wednesday. The solicitation outlines three altitude classes: low (up to 6,000 ft), mid (6,000-12,000 ft) and high (12,000-20,000 ft), each required to function in temperatures ranging from 50 °C to -30 °C. Required capabilities include dual GPS/NavIC navigation, obstacle-avoidance sensors, thermal imaging, robust electronic counter-countermeasures and an identification-friend-or-foe feature to avoid friendly-fire incidents.

The drones must be launchable from unprepared sites, operated by a crew of two or three, and endure at least 1,000 landings over a seven-year service life. The move seeks to reduce reliance on aging Cheetah helicopters and labor-intensive foot resupply along the Line of Control with Pakistan and the Line of Actual Control with China. Indian manufacturers have responded, with BonV Aero’s Air Hans offering a 20-kg payload and a ceiling of 16,500 ft, and IdeaForge’s Yeti handling 50-200 kg payloads up to 6,500 m. The army is using Ladakh’s high-altitude venues, such as HIM-DRONE-A-THON and HIMTECH, as testbeds for these systems.