India Fast-Tracks Procurement of MALE Class Drones for Enhanced Border Surveillance

In bid to improve its surveillance along the land/sea borders, India is expediting the acquisition process of 87 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones. These drones shall be purchased locally made according to the make in India policy, which seeks to further localize the Indian defense technology and cut links with foreign sources. Worth more than 20,000 crore, the procurement is under the last stages of being approved by the high-level committee of the Defence Ministry.

Context

• The purchase of 87 MALE drones valued at 20,000 crores is in high-gear to be used in surveillance of India and its neighbouring borders. 

• Local manufactures are part of the project that targets to enhance the defense preparedness and ability to operate, which falls under the Make in India initiative.

Key Points

Purpose Of Procurement:

• The drones should enable real-time monitoring of India sea and land borders, and overall increase the readiness of the operational areas.

• The project conforms to the Make in India program, which is to accelerate the local drone technology and minimize dependence on foreign vendors.

Indigenous Manufacturing:

• The drones will be 60 % indigenous and some of the Indian private firms are engaged in the design and development of the drones.

• It will be the maiden endeavour by Indian makers to provision MALE drones that previously were imported by Israeli companies.

MALE Drones capabilities:

• The drones will be advanced in terms of their surveillance, intelligence, reconnaissance and combat capabilities.

• They are supposed to work in most terrains and fly more than 30 hours at a minimum altitude of 35,000 feet and deliver real-time data.

Procurement Process:

• At the Defence ministry, the project is the last step of procurement, and it is subject to approval of a high-powered committee.

• Tests have already been carried out in order to be sure that the designs can fit the exact needs of the military in operation.

Strategic Importance:

• The introduction of MALE drones will go a long way in helping boost the surveillance of all the three services and the Indian Air Force in particular to keep a hawk eye on both the eastern and western borders.

Conclusion

The speed at which India has procured the MALE drone indicates a move to increase its domestic defense system besides boosting border security. This switch of dependency to local manufacturers is a major one that consists of becoming self-reliant in the field of defense technology and limiting the number of dependencies with foreign suppliers, strengthening the overall security of the country.