The current RfP is for 750 hi-tech precision strike drones, termed Remotely Piloted Aerial Vehicle (RPAV). The previous RFPs were issued to procure 1,000 Surveillance Copters and 80 Mini Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs).

Hi-tech Precision Strike Drones

The MoD intends to procure 750 RPAVs for the Indian Army’s Parachute (Special Forces) Battalions which are mandated to execute special missions behind enemy lines through Fast Track Procedure under Emergency Procurement.

The Army’s special forces are looking for specialised drones that can provide 3D imagery of the terrain to launch operations.

The RFP is part of the tendering process seeking commercial and technical bids from suppliers. Some 750 such drones are needed. “The current volatile situation along the northern borders warrants expeditious procurement of operational equipment,” the RFP document said. The Army is looking for UAVs that can provide round-the-clock surveillance with ability to scan the target area and provide a processed 3D scanned image of the target to execute special missions. The MoD wants to keep out any Chinese parts and has asked the vendor to provide NATO stock number (NSN) for each item provided by a foreign maker.

This force multiplier would enable the Special Forces to execute pinpoint precision strikes during direct action tasks such as raids, elimination of high-value targets, and command and control elements including enemy leadership.

This equipment will be deployed for situational awareness and short-range surveillance that will enable the special forces to execute pin-point precision strikes during direct action tasks. The Army wants the UAV to be about 2 kg in weight and be operable by one person. The UAV needs to have an endurance of 30 minutes and be able to operate indoors and in GPS-denied areas.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft

On 20 October 2022, the Army began the process to procure 80 mini remotely piloted aircraft systems and 1,000 surveillance copters to bolster its overall surveillance apparatus along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. Officials said the mini remotely piloted aircraft is an ideal multi-sensor system to carry out day and night surveillance and target detection in high-altitude regions.

The last date for submission of bids for the remotely piloted aircraft programme was November 16. “The system will be able to provide high resolution imagery to enable target detection, recognition, identification and accurate location of adversary’s location as well as build up of troops,” said an official.

The mini remotely piloted aircraft systems are being procured under the ‘buy’ (Indian) category. According to the request for proposal or initial tender, the select supplier will have to supply the platforms within 12 months of signing the contract.

As per the requirement of the Army, the new man-portable mini-RPAS must weigh up to 15 kilograms, have a mission range of at least 15 kilometers, and have an operation endurance of no less than 90 minutes. While the runway-independent RPAS should have the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability at an altitude of 13,000 feet with a minimum four-hour endurance

The new RPAS will be used for tactical surveillance to locate enemy soldiers and weapon systems in a particular sector. In contrast, strategic surveillance aims to determine the big picture, for example, where the enemy is concentrating his forces, what routes are used for supplies, where are the logistics hubs, etc.

The new RPAS with day-and-night capability are consequently needed by forward observation posts to look deeper and direct, correct, and analyze artillery fire.

Surveillance Copters

The Army’s procurement of 1,000 surveillance copters through fast track procedure under emergency procurement process is also aimed at boosting surveillance along the frontier with China.

“For surveillance needs of the Indian Army, expeditious procurement of surveillance copters for meeting urgent operational requirements is an operational imperative, where undue/unforeseen delay is seen to be adversely impacting the capacity and preparedness of the Indian Army,” according to a brief on the programme.

It said the surveillance copter will provide aerial surveillance capability and sustained point surveillance to the Indian Army.

The last date for submission of bids for the programme is November 17.

A surveillance copter is an ideal multi-sensor system to carry out real-time reconnaissance and surveillance day and night. It will provide high-resolution imagery to enable target detection, recognition and accurate location of adversary’s build-up. The UAVs will be sourced from Indian companies.

The copters will provide aerial surveillance capability and sustained point surveillance to the Army. It will have a multi-sensor system to carry out real-time reconnaissance and surveillance of an area of interest.

The system will provide high-resolution imagery to enable target detection, recognition, identification and accurate location of adversary’s build-up, mortars, guns, movement of troops and vehicles during border management and active operations.

The copters will have an all-up weight of no more than 10 kg and can take off from an altitude of 13,000 ft.

Swarm Drone Systems

To enhance its defensive and offensive capabilities, the Indian Army in August 2022 inducted the swarm drone system. As evident from the recent ongoing conflicts globally, they have proved to be a major force multiplier. Even at the borders in India, drone-related incidents have seen a major surge in the past few months.

The resourcefulness of the swarm drone technology has proved itself during the recent conflicts in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Syria and the strike on oil fields in Saudi Arabia and the recent Russia-Ukraine war.

Loitering munitions, Aerial Targeting System

The Army has started the process to procure 120 loitering munitions and 10 aerial targeting systems to bolster its military might along the frontier with China.

The RfP for the procurement was issued around November 14. The loitering munitions and the aerial targeting systems are being procured under the fast track procedure within the framework of ‘buy Indian’ category, they said.

Under the prescribed specifications, the aerial targeting systems will be required to have a range of 100 km.

Separate Cadre of UAV Operators

The Army is looking to create a separate cadre for operating its Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), according to Lt Gen AK Suri, Director General of Army Aviation. He was speaking at a seminar on Unmanned Aerial Systems, organised by Indian Military Review, on 16 September 2022.

“This cadre will be of operators in terms of piloting and will reduce the load on helicopter pilots,” he said, adding that Indian Army has been using UAVs for the last two decades, he said they have primarily used them in the northern and western borders. A major part of the surveillance is carried out by them.

The proposal is currently with the Army headquarters and once cleared, will be sent to the Defence Ministry for approval. A similar proposal for a separate UAV cadre by the IAF has been long pending with the Defence Ministry for approval.

Speaking at the seminar, Air Marshal Radhakrishnan Radhish, Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at Western Air Command, said the IAF has a road map for induction of more capable medium-altitude long-endurance UAVs as well as high-altitude long-endurance UAVs. IAF is joining an indigenous effort to develop a UCAV and Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) has been sanctioned to develop the niche technologies, he stated. Awareness of the enemy (battlefield transparency) is crucial in high altitude where mobility is a prime factor in gaining advantage and these will help the Units deployed in the Northern Borders. These RPAs will assist the local commanders in gaining information on the enemy position, men and equipment and about the changes on ground, thus enabling them to take timely and appropriate action,” he said.

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The last date for submission of bids for the remotely piloted aircraft programme is November 16.

“The system will be able to provide high resolution imagery to enable target detection, recognition, identification and accurate location of adversary’s location as well as build up of troops,” said an official.

According to the request for proposal or initial tender, the select supplier will have to supply the platforms within 12 months of signing the contract.

The mini remotely piloted aircraft systems are being procured under the ‘buy’ (Indian) category.

The Army’s procurement of 1,000 surveillance copters through fast track procedure under emergency procurement process is also aimed at boosting surveillance along the frontier with China.

Officials said the current dynamic volatile situation along the Northern borders warrants seamless surveillance.

“For surveillance needs of the Indian Army, expeditious procurement of surveillance copters for meeting urgent operational requirements is an operational imperative, where undue/unforeseen delay is seen to be adversely impacting the capacity and preparedness of the Indian Army,” according to a brief on the programme.

It said the surveillance copter will provide aerial surveillance capability and sustained point surveillance to the Indian Army.

Surveillance Copter is an ideal multi sensor system to carry out day and night, real time reconnaissance and surveillance.

“The system will provide high resolution imagery to enable target detection, recognition, identification and accurate location of adversaries’ build up,” said an official.

The last date for submission of bids for the programme is November 17.

The Army has been ramping up its overall combat capabilities in view of the lingering border row in eastern Ladakh.

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Making this announcement, on 8 October, at the Air Force Day parade in Chandigarh, the first outside the Delhi NCR, Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari said, “On this historic occasion, it is my privilege to announce that the government has approved the creation of a Weapon Systems Branch for officers in the IAF. This is the first time since Independence that a new operational branch is being created.”

 “This will essentially be for manning of four specialised streams of surface-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air missiles, remotely piloted aircraft and weapon system operators in twin and multi-crew aircraft. Creation of this branch will result in savings of over Rs 3,400 crore due to reduced expenditure on flying training,” he said.

Later, a senior IAF officer, explaining the need for a dedicated branch for weapon systems, said the establishment of a separate branch for missile system operators, unmanned aerial vehicles and weapon system officers of two-seater aircraft is an effort to synergise operational requirements which differ from active flying.

Pointing to the induction of more missile systems with complex operational dynamics and the future establishment of an Air Defence Command with integrated air defence assets of all three services, the officer said there was need to do away with piecemeal deployment of officers from non-specialised branches and institutionalise the non-flying operational cadre.

A long-felt need

Bringing all weapon system operators under one roof addresses a long-felt need in the IAF, ensuring a dedicated cadre. A specialised branch will facilitate induction of more complex weapon systems.

“Basically, the weapon systems operator in a twin-seater aircraft does not have to be a full-fledged pilot as his core competence is handling the weapons on board. We can gradually build up this cadre and phase away pilots from doing this task, thereby making him or her available for flying duties,” the officer said.

This separate branch is also expected to include officers who specialise as intelligence analysts and operate intelligence-gathering tasks in unmanned aerial vehicles as well as space-based assets. Here again, the need for building core competence in a separate branch has long been felt by the IAF brass, given the increasing role of UAVs and space assets in information gathering and advance warning.

The officer also referred to the accidental firing of a Brahmos in March and said an analysis of the incident had reinforced the belief that a dedicated cadre of missile commanders must be built.

In his address, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said the induction of Air Warriors into the IAF through the Agnipath scheme is a challenge, but more importantly, it is an opportunity to harness the potential of India’s youth and channelise it towards the service of the nation.

“We have changed our operational training methodology to ensure each Agniveer is equipped with the right skills and knowledge to start a career in the Air Force. In December this year, we will be inducting 3,000 Agniveer Vayu for their initial training. This number will only go up in the years to come to ensure adequate staffing,” he said.

He said IAF is also planning on induction of Women Agniveers starting next year. Creation of infrastructure, he said, is in progress and streamlining of trade structure is being finalised.

From continued deployment along the borders, Humanitarian And Disaster Relief (HADR) operations to rescuing stranded Indians from conflict zones, the IAF has seen the entire spectrum of roles and tasks.

“The traditional domains of land, sea and air have expanded to include space and cyber. We are increasingly seeing the convergence of all these domains into one continuum in the form of hybrid warfare. The use of non-kinetic and non-lethal warfare to supplement kinetic means has changed the way wars will be prosecuted. Therefore, conventional systems and weapons will need to be augmented by modern, flexible and adaptive technology.”

“Technology has given us the wherewithal to be innovative. We need to accept the fact that tomorrow’s conflicts cannot be fought with yesterday’s mindset. To be able to execute all missions in an environment of denial will increasingly be the basis of our training in the Air Force,” he said.

Keeping these aspects in mind, the IAF chief said, there is a need to plan for integrated and joint application of combat power. “The key to success in multi- domain operations is to have flexible, robust Command and Control Structures which will allow a joint force to dominate across domains. No single service can win a war on its own. Work is in progress to enhance jointness amongst the three services,” he said.

The theme for this year’s anniversary celebrations – ‘IAF: Transforming for the Future’ — is very apt and highlights the Indian Air Force’s need to redefine, reimagine and recalibrate to transform into a contemporary and future-ready force, he said.

“Our fighting potential has to be sustained over the years through the induction of 4.5 Gen fighters, AWACS, AEW&C and flight refuelling aircraft. We have initiated necessary steps to ensure our fighter squadron strength remains at the desired level. Indigenous development of six AEW&C Mk-II has been sanctioned and we are actively pursuing the acquisition of ISTAR, UAVs, Counter UAS technology and strengthening our networks,” he said.

Modern armed forces, he said, have to be sufficiently self-reliant to ensure minimum disruptions. “Towards this, Atmanirbharta and Make-in-India are a step in the right direction. Our indigenous operational network AFNET, the backbone of all air operations IACCS, one of the largest maintenance management protocols

e-MMS and the fact that we are completely paperless in our offices through the e-Office application is a testimony to our commitment towards becoming self-reliant,” he said.

The LCA, ALH, Akash surface-to-air missile, Astra BVR, LCH and Brahmos, he said, are a few examples of the indigenous hardware that has already been inducted and operationalised.

He said the IAF has signed a contract for 83 LCA Mk 1A and is fully committed to the development of LCA Mk-II and the AMCA.

“The advent of drones, swarm drones, hypersonic weapons and space based ISR systems have added a new dimension to war fighting. To effectively handle the full spectrum, artificial intelligence is being used for quicker decision-making and analysis of big data. I am happy to report that several projects are well underway to utilise the potential of automation, data analytics and artificial intelligence to transform our operational philosophy,” he said

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It must have a minimum endurance of more than 10 hours with a basic payload and loitering capability at 5,000 feet and at 100 kilometers range in basic configuration.

Each system is to comprise of two air vehicles, which are modular in design, made of composite material and that can be dismantled/folded for portability and stowage onboard ship (in a container provided along with Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) being supplied. The RPA must be easily assembled onboard the ship.

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LCH LSP is an indigenously designed, developed and manufactured state of the art modern combat helicopter containing approx. 45% indigenous content by value which will progressively increase to more than 55% for SP Version.

This helicopter is equipped with requisite agility, maneuverability, extended range, high altitude performance and around-the-clock, all-weather combat capability to perform roles of Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), Destruction of Enemy Air Defence (DEAD), Counter Insurgency (CI) operations, against slow moving aircraft and Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs), high altitude bunker busting operations, Counter Insurgency operations in jungle and urban environments and support to ground forces and would be a potent platform to meet the operational requirements of Indian Air Force & Indian Army.

State of the art technologies and systems compatible with stealth features such as reduced Visual, Aural, Radar and IR signatures and crashworthiness features for better survivability have been integrated in LCH for deployment in combat roles catering to emerging needs for next 3 to 4 decades. Several key aviation technologies like Glass Cockpit and composite airframe structure have been indigenised. The future Series Production version will consist of further modern & indigenous systems.

Light Combat Helicopters are already in the import embargo list. With its versatile features built in for combat missions, LCH has export capability.

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