AVNL-led project to equip Indian Army tanks with kamikaze drones
The Indian Army is about to boost its tank game by adding Indian-made drones, thanks to a new project led by Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL).
They're looking for kamikaze drones, loitering munitions, and both tethered and untethered models, basically, tech that can help tanks see further and hit harder.
Army to test 3 prototype sets
To kick things off, the Army will test three prototype sets before ramping up to 590 units.
Only Indian companies, including MSMEs, public-sector firms and government entities, can join in.
These drones are designed for tough terrains: loitering munitions will strike targets with a minimum range of 15km; untethered drones offer high-resolution video and encrypted communications; tethered ones keep watch nonstop.
Plus, there's a big push for local content, starting at more than 50% in prototypes and going up to 80% as production scales.