The Army has signed contracts for the procurement of 130 tethered drones and 19 tank-driving simulators under Emergency Procurement (EP) and they will be delivered in 12 months. The armed forces are currently executing the fourth tranche of EPs sanctioned by the Defence Ministry.
“Indian Army has signed the contract for procurement of 130 Tethered Drones and 19 Tank Driving Simulators. The induction of such new equipment will enhance the overall operational preparedness...,” the Army said in a post on social media.
The long-endurance tether drone systems are contracted at an approximate value of ₹250 crore and can be used in high-altitude areas, one official said.
In the last few months, the Army has issued several tenders for a range of drones and technologies including logistics, load-carrying drones, anti-drone systems, and loitering munitions, among others. In the last three years, in the backdrop of the stand-off in Eastern Ladakh, the Army had also concluded a series of contracts with Indian start-ups for small drones for surveillance and load-carrying.
For instance, Noida-based start-up Raphe mPhibr Pvt. Ltd. got two separate orders from the Army, for 48 mR-20 logistics drones which can carry cargo of up to 20 kg in high-altitude areas for the infantry and 100 quadcopter drones for the Armoured Corps, as reported by The Hindu earlier.
Similarly, Mumbai-based drone manufacturer ideaForge won a repeat contract last year from the Army to supply 200 of its Switch Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) mini-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) along with its accessories. In January 2021, the Army signed a contract with ideaForge for Switch UAVs in a deal worth $20 million and also a repeat order for an undisclosed number of Switch UAVs to augment surveillance along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Army had earlier contracted drones that can hit targets with 5-10 kg explosives from Bengaluru-based NewSpace Research & Technologies Pvt Ltd which is developing a range of drones including drone swarms.
Under the fourth tranche of EP, the Army has so far signed 49 contracts worth ₹7,600 crore and another 34 contracts of similar amount are lined up and expected to be concluded by end-September, as reported earlier.
Emergency financial powers were granted to the armed forces by the Defence Ministry for the first time after the 2016 Uri terror attack, under which they could procure weapons systems up to ₹300 crore, on an “urgent basis without any further clearances to cut short the procurement cycle”.
