IAF Issues RFIs for Two New Counter-Drone Systems After Operation Sindoor

In the wake of Operation Sindoor, the recent four-day conflict with Pakistan in which drones played a significant role, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has initiated a major push to strengthen its air-defence grid against emerging unmanned threats. The service has issued two separate Requests for Information (RFIs) for counter-drone systems designed specifically to defeat hostile drone swarms targeting key military assets.

The move reflects growing concern within India’s defence establishment over the rapid evolution of drone warfare, seen across conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Nagorno-Karabakh, and now much closer to home. Swarm drones, which use large numbers of low-cost platforms to overwhelm traditional air defence systems, are particularly worrying for planners tasked with protecting Vital Areas and Vital Points (VA/VP).

Most current air-defence systems rely on expensive surface-to-air missiles, making them economically unsuited to countering drones that may cost only a few hundred dollars. The new RFIs indicate that the IAF is now seeking purpose-built, cost-effective solutions for defeating such saturation attacks.

According to the documents, the IAF is exploring two distinct classes of counter-swarm systems:

Mobile Micro-Munitions-Based Anti-Swarm Drone System (MM-ASDS)

This system will use micro-munitions that explode near incoming drones to neutralise them. It will also incorporate “soft-kill” capabilities such as jamming radio-frequency control links and satellite navigation signals.

Kamikaze Drone-Based Anti-Swarm Drone System (KD-ASDS)

Under this concept, loitering munitions, or kamikaze drones, will be launched to intercept and destroy hostile swarms approaching VA/VP targets from multiple directions. These, too, will be supported by electronic jamming options.

Both systems are expected to provide 360-degree protection and feature organic radar capability to detect drones with radar cross-sections as small as 0.02 square metres. Complementing radar, the IAF has also stipulated passive Electro-Optical Systems (EOS) for detection and tracking, similar to those used on frontline fighter aircraft such as the Rafale and Su-30MKI. These sensors enable silent detection without emitting radar signals.

The RFIs underscore a shift toward layered, multi-domain counter-drone defence that integrates kinetic and non-kinetic tools. The lessons of Operation Sindoor, particularly the widespread tactical use of drones, have accelerated this modernisation push.

By investing early in specialised anti-swarm capabilities, the IAF is signalling that drone warfare will be central to future conflicts, and that India intends to stay ahead of the threat rather than react to it.

Dhruv Yadav