Indian Army Approves Procurement of 850 Kamikaze Drones Following Operation Sindoor Insights
The Indian Army is preparing to acquire approximately 850 kamikaze drones, also known as loitering drones, to bolster the combat capabilities of its Armed Forces and Special Forces. This move is part of an effort to draw important operational insights from Operation Sindoor.
According to sources from the defense sector, as reported by ANI, the Army's procurement proposal has reached an advanced stage and is expected to gain approval in an upcoming high-level Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting scheduled for the end of the month.
The acquisition process is advancing under fast-track procedures, with the drones and their launchers to be procured from domestic manufacturers. This aligns with India's strategic aim to achieve self-reliance in defense production.
Sources indicated that the Indian Army currently employs various loitering munitions obtained from different suppliers. The Army now plans to introduce nearly 30,000 additional systems in the future to equip all combat formations across the three military services.
Under the new operational framework, each Army infantry battalion will include an ‘Ashni’ platoon dedicated to drone operations. These units will carry out precision strikes on adversary positions and aid in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism missions.
During Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army extensively used drones to target terrorist bases inside Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. On the initial day of the operation, Indian forces succeeded in neutralizing seven out of nine identified terrorist targets.
Defense sources highlighted that the drone-led assaults inflicted heavy casualties and caused substantial damage to enemy infrastructure along the border. Additionally, loitering munitions were deployed against Pakistani military positions when they attempted to protect the terrorist elements.
The planned induction of a large number of kamikaze drones represents a significant advancement in enhancing the Indian Army’s precision-strike, surveillance, and asymmetric warfare capabilities, emphasizing the increasing importance of unmanned systems in contemporary military operations.
