The Indian Army plans to deploy tens of thousands of unmanned systems within five years.

How does the AI and Unmanned Systems Technology Roadmap support India’s military reform?

Reference News Network, April 8 According to a report on the Hindustan Times website on April 8, several informed officials stated on the 7th that, given the increasingly significant impact of unmanned systems on military operations—and the fact that such equipment has reshaped modern warfare (as seen in ongoing global conflicts like the US and Israel’s wars against Iran)—the Indian Army plans to deploy tens of thousands of domestically produced unmanned aerial systems and cruise missiles over the next five years to enhance battlefield combat capabilities.

One official said that the Indian Army’s needs include 80 different types of unmanned systems, used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, precision strikes, ammunition delivery, air defense, jamming, mine warfare, data relay, and logistics. The day before, the Indian Army released the “Unmanned Aerial Systems and Cruise Missiles Technology Roadmap,” which clarifies the Army’s long-term requirements for unmanned systems to domestic defense industry, academia, and R&D institutions.

Another official stated, “We plan to deploy these systems in phases over the next one to five years. Internal research based on lessons learned from current conflicts shows that the Army needs 30 types of unmanned aerial systems and cruise missiles to perform five core mission categories. When broken down into sub-models, this involves 80 different types of drones.”

Reportedly, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said several weeks ago that India must take measures to become a global drone manufacturing hub by 2030 to meet its national defense needs and maintain strategic autonomy. He pointed out that ongoing conflicts, including those in West Asia, indicate that drone and counter-drone technologies will be central to future warfare.

The Indian Army states that the roadmap aims to leverage domestic military industrial capabilities to build battlefield advantages.

In a statement, the Army also said, “This document clarifies technological and operational priorities, striving to build a critical bridge between operational needs and technological development, ensuring that India’s drone industry develops in a structured, demand-driven manner.”

The roadmap shows that systems needed for reconnaissance include high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial systems, medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial systems, high-altitude pseudo-satellites, and unmanned aerial near-shore systems for remote/medium/close-range reconnaissance.

The Army also plans to deploy cruise missiles for long, medium, and close-range strikes, drone swarms with reconnaissance and strike capabilities, and first-person view (FPV) drones with strike capabilities. Additionally, the Army plans to deploy unmanned systems for special missions, including integrated reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial near-shore systems, and related equipment capable of carrying guided and unguided munitions.

It is reported that this roadmap aligns with another plan released by India in March this year, the “Ministry of Defense Force 2047 Vision,” which includes the formation of drone units.

India is preparing to implement a series of far-reaching military reforms to ensure its armed forces can meet future battlefield challenges. Establishing drone units, data units, and the Defense Geospatial Agency are core objectives the country aims to achieve by the centennial of independence in 2047. (Compiled by Xu Yanhong)