India signs $165 million deal for Army loitering munitions

The Indian Ministry of Defence has signed contracts worth approximately Rs 1,577 crore ($165 million) for the procurement of advanced loitering munition systems for the Indian Army. The agreements were finalized in New Delhi in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.

The contracts were awarded to two domestic manufacturers: Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and NIBE Private Limited. Under the procurement terms, TASL is expected to meet 64% of the requirement, while NIBE will provide 36%. The acquisition, conducted under the ‘Buy (Indian)’ category via a Fast Track Procedure, includes the systems, munitions, and necessary accessories.

These loitering munitions, often described as “suicide drones,” are designed to cruise over target areas for extended periods before diving to strike high-value targets. The technology is intended to bolster the operational effectiveness of the Army’s artillery regiments, specifically supporting the newly created Shaktibaan Regiments and Divyastra batteries as part of an ongoing restructuring to integrate unmanned strike systems with conventional firepower.