Indian Army Seeks Drone-Hunting Interceptor System for 'Hard Kills'

Indian Army has issued an RFI for a hard-kill Drone Interception System to detect and destroy hostile drones and swarms. The system will integrate with Akashteer, addressing gaps exposed after Jammu Air Force Station drone attack and LoC intrusions.

New Delhi: In an effort to strengthen its air defence capabilities against exponential drone threats, the Indian Army has issued a request for information (RFI) for the procurement of ‘Drone Interception System’ -- an autonomous aerial weapon capable of detecting and physically destroying hostile unmanned aircraft, including coordinated swarms.

Integration with Akashteer

The system must also integrate with Akashteer, the Army's fully indigenous, automated Air Defence Control and Reporting System.

Issued recently, the RFI described the proliferation of low radar cross-section drones as an “urgent” threat requiring kinetic countermeasures.

Each system would comprise a ground radar sensor, a portable control station, and four interceptor drones.

As per the RFI, the sensor must track at least 20 targets simultaneously across 360 degrees, with detection ranges of 4 kilometres for micro-sized platforms and 10 kilometres for slightly larger ones.

The interceptor must be fire-and-forget, guided by onboard machine vision, and operable at altitudes up to 5,000 metres above sea level.

The Army wants both kinetic-impact and high-explosive variants, with the latter requiring a proximity fuze capable of detonating near rather than directly hitting a target.

The RFI also listed that the system must have a minimum 50 percent of indigenous content. These systems must also integrate with Akashteer, the Army’s recently commissioned automated air defence network.

It must be noted that the requirement is shaped by hard experience. The June 2021 drone strike on the Jammu Air Force Station -- the first such attack on an Indian military base and persistent drone intrusions along the Line of Control have exposed a critical gap in low-altitude air defence that conventional missile systems cannot economically fill.