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The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has initiated its largest-ever procurement of logistic drones, issuing a Request for Information (RFI) for 2,715 unmanned aerial systems to strengthen last-mile supply chains for the Indian Army along the borders with China and Pakistan.
The proposed fleet will be used to transport rations, ammunition and other essential stores to troops deployed in forward areas, reducing reliance on soldiers and mule columns for logistics in difficult terrain.
Issued last week, the RFI seeks three categories of drones capable of operating at up to 6,000 feet, 6,000-12,000 feet, and 12,000-20,000 feet. The systems are intended for operations across plains, mountainous regions and snow-bound high-altitude areas during both peace and wartime.
Each system will comprise an aerial vehicle, ground control station, remote video terminal, day camera, thermal imaging sensor, GPS, onboard navigation system and obstacle-avoidance technology such as LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) – a vital remote sensing technology used for real-time obstacle avoidance in self-driving drones. The drones are required to operate in autonomous, manual and return-to-home modes and land on unprepared surfaces near forward posts.
The Army has specified one-way mission ranges of 10-20 km, depending on altitude, and the ability to function in temperatures ranging from minus 30°C to 50°C. The drones must also withstand at least 1,000 landings over a service life of seven years.
To improve survivability in contested environments, the platforms must incorporate anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities to prevent hostile electronic interference. They will also require identification systems to avoid being mistaken for hostile aircraft by India’s own air defence network.
The RFI is open only to original equipment manufacturers, authorised vendors and government-backed export agencies. The Ministry clarified that the exercise is intended to gather industry inputs and does not constitute a procurement commitment.
The latest requirement marks a sharp expansion in the Army’s logistics drone programme.
In 2022, the MoD had sought information for 570 logistic drones, followed by a fast-track tender for 363 drones to strengthen supply lines in high-altitude sectors. Another RFI was issued in 2025 for medium- and high-altitude variants covering operational areas from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
The fresh proposal for 2,715 drones is the largest such requirement issued by the Army to date. It reflects the growing role of autonomous logistics in sustaining troops deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, where rapid and reliable last-mile resupply has become increasingly critical.
Team BharatShakti
