Army unveils technology roadmap for UAS, loitering munitions

The army on Monday unveiled a key "technology roadmap" outlining technical and operational requirements in the domain of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and loitering munitions, amid the changing nature of warfare as seen in various conflicts. The nearly 50-page document, intended for industry and academia, details 30 types of UAS and loitering munitions across five categories, translating into nearly 80 variants, a senior officer said. The categories are surveillance, loitering munitions, unmanned aerial systems in air defence role, unmanned aerial systems in special role and logistics unmanned aerial systems.
The Indian Army said that the roadmap provides clear, actionable visibility to industry, academia and research and development institutions to channelize investments and technological efforts towards priority areas identified by it. The Indian Army added that the document serves as a critical bridge between operational requirements and technological development, ensuring that India’s drone ecosystem evolves in a structured, demand-driven manner.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief of the Army Staff Lieutenant General Rahul R. Singh highlighted the evolving nature of modern warfare and the increasing role of drone technology. He emphasised that recent conflicts have demonstrated the need for a balance between mass deployment and precision targeting.  The event brought together key stakeholders from the armed forces, defence industry, start-ups and academia, reinforcing a whole-of-nation approach towards building a resilient and self-reliant drone ecosystem. 
Drone Federation India (DFI) has assisted the army in preparing the document. The document mentions details such as equipment name, type, expected life cycle, approximate quantity and information on its variants.