Army speeds up one-way attack drones procurement: Tata emerges as lowest bidder for Rs 1500 crore contract

The Army has moved ahead with the procurement of hundreds of one-way attack drones, with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) emerging as the lowest bidder to supply the systems.

This is the first major drone procurement carried out under the fast-track procedure, which enables the armed forces to quickly place orders, with supplies to start within six months of the contract signing.

Sources said that after the trials, technical evaluation of opening of commercial bids, TASL has emerged as the lowest bidder, followed by Nibe Defence. Under the terms of the contract, the deal will be split between the two companies, with Tata slated to supply 64% of the order and Nibe to get a 26% share.


Sources said that the order is valued at around ₹1500 crore, with 850 drones to be supplied for use by the Army. One-way attack drones or loitering munitions have emerged as a key component of modern warfare, with the systems causing extensive damage during the Ukraine-Russia war as well as the West Asian conflict.

The low-cost systems being acquired by the army have been designed to be resistant to jamming and spoofing, incorporating lessons learnt during Operation Sindoor. Extensive trials of the systems were caried out under trying conditions, including a jamming environment right from takeoff. The drones are set to be tasked to take down enemy artillery positions deep across the border.

While an order for 850 of the systems has been signed for now, the requirement of the Army for similar drones is in the thousands, with additional orders expected in the coming months. Several major orders for one way attack drones are under process currently, including systems that can strike targets at a distance of over 1500 km.

All eyes will be on delivery of the systems as the Fast Track Procedure is strict on meeting timelines and has significant penalties for delays.