India's defence council clears long-range kamikaze drones and platform-based counter-drone systems for the Army

TLDR

• India's defence council cleared Rs 2.12 lakh crore of buys on 26 October, including a long-range kamikaze drone system.¹
• The Army list also covers platform-based counter-drone systems, surveillance UAVs and an integrated surveillance and strike system.¹
• These are in-principle approvals, not contracts, and the sources give no quantities or costs for the drone items.¹²

India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on 26 October gave acceptance of necessity (AoN), described by the Ministry of Defence as in-principle administrative approval, to capital acquisition proposals costing about Rs 2,12,000 crore across the Army, Navy and Air Force.¹ The ministry says about 82 per cent of the approved procurements will come from Indian industry.¹

For the Army, the ministry's list includes a Long Range Kamikaze Drone System, an Integrated Surveillance and Strike System, a surveillance UAV and a line item worded "Unmanned Aerial System Brick Long Range".¹ It also includes a platform-based counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) and very short-range air defence systems.¹ The ministry says the C-UAS "will enhance survivability of Tanks in the modern battlefield", that the VSHORADS "will engage new generation small size aerial threats", and that the surveillance and drone systems "will enhance the surveillance and targeting capabilities of the Indian Army".¹ The New Indian Express counts drones, counter-drone and air defence systems as six of the Army's 10 approvals and calls the AoN an initial go-ahead.² The Times of India, citing news agency ANI, reports the same Army list.³

The ministry statement gives no numbers, unit costs, suppliers or timelines for the drone and counter-drone items. Coverage largely follows the ministry release, so the outlets here are not independent confirmation of the details.

Why it matters: the approval puts a long-range kamikaze drone system and platform-based counter-drone cover on the Army's procurement path alongside surveillance drones, but with no quantities, costs or suppliers published, it is an early signal rather than an order.¹²