The Indian Air Force (IAF) has launched a project to develop indigenous long-range loitering munitions — commonly known as kamikaze or suicide drones — in partnership with domestic industry, a Defence Ministry official confirmed on Tuesday, 16 June. The IAF has issued a limited tender to select Indian companies for One-Way Attack Unmanned Aerial Systems (OWA-UAS), marking a significant step in India's push for self-reliance in advanced aerial warfare technology.

Project Structure and Nodal Agency

The kamikaze drone programme will be anchored at the 5 Base Repair Depot (BRD) at Sulur, near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, which has been designated as the nodal agency for the initiative. Crucially, the IAF will retain full Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) over the drone platform, which is to be designed, developed, and manufactured entirely within India with the participation of domestic companies and start-ups.

This IPR arrangement is a departure from several past procurement models and is intended to enable faster upgrades, modifications, and customisation in line with evolving operational requirements, according to the Defence Ministry statement.

Technical Specifications

Loitering munitions — also referred to as kamikaze or suicide drones — are one-way, self-sacrificing unmanned aerial vehicles that cruise toward a target area, autonomously identify enemies, and detonate on impact. Under the IAF's specifications, the indigenous long-range variants must operate at altitudes of up to 16,000 feet and function effectively in both day and night conditions.

The ability to operate at high altitudes is particularly significant given India's contested borders in mountainous terrain, where such systems could provide a decisive tactical edge.

What Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Said

At a recent National Defence Industries Conclave, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh underlined the urgency of building indigenous drone capability, stating that India must work in 'mission mode' to emerge as a global hub of drone manufacturing within a few years.

Singh pointed to ongoing global conflicts — from the Russia-Ukraine war to tensions between Iran and Israel — as evidence that drones and counter-drone technologies will play a pivotal role in future warfare. He stressed that self-reliance must extend beyond the product level to the component level. 'From the drone's moulds to its software, engines, and batteries, everything must be manufactured in India. This is no easy task. In most countries where drones are manufactured, a significant number of critical components are currently imported from China,' Singh said.

iDEX Ecosystem and Industry Participation

The OWA-UAS project draws on a rapidly growing defence innovation base. According to Rajnath Singh, as of February 2026, nearly 676 start-ups, MSMEs, and individual innovators have joined the defence innovation ecosystem since the launch of iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) in 2018. A total of 548 contracts have been signed under the initiative, with 58 prototypes cleared for procurement at a value of approximately ₹3,853 crore. Additionally, 45 procurement contracts worth nearly ₹2,326 crore have already been executed.

The minister emphasised that a robust defence industrial ecosystem requires not just large industry players but also MSMEs, start-ups, and a clear policy framework tailored to India's specific defence needs.

Strategic Context

This comes amid heightened focus on drone warfare following the demonstrated effectiveness of loitering munitions in multiple global conflict zones. India's move to develop its own OWA-UAS capability reflects a broader strategic shift: reducing dependence on imported platforms for high-attrition warfare assets, where supply chain continuity in conflict scenarios is a critical vulnerability. The IAF's decision to retain IPR also positions the platform for potential future exports under India's expanding defence diplomacy framework.