Indian MOD issues order for 150 UAVs

India’s ministry of defence (MOD) is considering the procurement of up to 150 medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAVs for use across by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. In a request for information, the MOD said the machines would be produced by Indian companies under the Made in India initiative.

The MALE UAVs will be used for a number of tasks, including combat search and rescue, disaster control, artillery adjustment, coast patrol and protection of facilities. The MOD has specified that the drones should have a service ceiling of 30,000 ft (9,150 m) and a maximum range of 250 km (155 miles) in line of sight mode. Another requirement is an endurance of greater than 25 hours.

The MOD has also asked that the drones have synthetic aperture radar (SAR), electro optical/infrared payloads, a satellite based navigation system that will be able to take advantage of India’s Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) and automatic and take off landing (ATOL) capabilities.

It has been reported that the base requirement that the MOD has issued is for 100 UAVs, 50 ground control stations and 100 payloads, though this could rise to 150 UAVs, 75 ground control stations and 150 payloads.