The Ministry of Defence has issued a request for information to procure 2,715 logistic drones for the Indian Army, Outlook India reported.

This marks the largest single order of such systems to date, intended to accelerate the delivery of rations, ammunition and other supplies to troops stationed along the borders with China and Pakistan.

The RFI specifies three categories of drones. The first must operate up to 6,000 feet, the second between 6,000 and 12,000 feet, and the third between 12,000 and 20,000 feet. These drones will be deployed for last‑mile delivery to forward posts in both peace and wartime, across terrain ranging from plains to snow‑bound mountains.

Each drone system is required to include an aerial vehicle, a ground control station, a remote video terminal, a colour day camera and a night thermal sensor that produces black‑and‑white imagery. The systems must also incorporate GPS, self‑tracking units, and obstacle‑detection technologies such as LIDAR.

Endurance and range requirements vary by altitude, but the mission range must not fall below 10 to 20 kilometres one way. The drones must withstand extreme temperatures from minus 30 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius, and endure at least 1,000 landings over a service life of seven years or more.

The ministry has emphasised resilience against jamming and spoofing, ensuring that hostile signals cannot disrupt or hijack the drones mid‑flight. Identification technology is also mandated, so that India’s own air‑defence systems can distinguish them from enemy aircraft in combat zones.

Only original equipment manufacturers, authorised vendors or government‑backed export agencies are eligible to respond to the RFI. The ministry has clarified that issuing the RFI does not commit it to immediate procurement.

If implemented, this would represent the largest logistics drone acquisition by the Indian Army. It reflects a broader effort to reduce reliance on soldiers and pack animals for transporting supplies to isolated high‑altitude posts along the northern borders.

The scale of requirements has grown significantly. In December 2022, the ministry sought 570 drones, divided between standard versions for altitudes up to 12,000 feet and high‑altitude versions above that. 

A subsequent fast‑track tender called for 363 more drones, split between medium and high altitudes, to reinforce supply lines along the border. Another RFI in 2025 covered medium‑ and high‑altitude drones for terrain spanning Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Taken together, the Army’s logistic drone requirement has multiplied several times in four years. The latest request for 2,715 drones underscores the indispensable role of unmanned systems in sustaining forward posts along the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control. It also highlights the strategic shift towards autonomous logistics as a cornerstone of modern military operations.

Agencies