Indian Army plans to deploy 500 drones to replace mules, helicopters in some areas

The Indian Army is set to deploy around 500 drones developed by MIT, Chennai, in challenging terrains such as the North-East and high-altitude landscapes. As per a TOI report, these drones will replace mules and helicopters to a certain extent. Union home minister Amit Shah praised the project team and announced that these drones will be utilized for delivering medicines and essential items to remote Border Observation Posts (BOPs), addressing security gaps in difficult terrains.

The drones, weighing 100kg, have the capability to carry 15kg to 20kg of supplies, including medicines, food, provisions, or oil, across different altitudes. Equipped with proximity sensors, these drones can fly through fog, rain, and gusty winds, ensuring smooth landing and takeoff. The guided navigation system, developed by the research team using GPS technology, allows the drones to travel up to 20 km round trip at an altitude of 1km.

K Senthil Kumar, director of the Kalam Advanced Drone Research Centre at Anna University, explained that the drones have undergone successful tests and trial runs in Leh, Ladakh, dense jungles, and high cliffs in the North-East. Additionally, a trial was conducted in Pokhran to assess their durability in high atmospheric temperatures. The drones have now been officially inducted into the Indian Army.


MIT professors Senthil Kumar and Thamarai Selvi have obtained an Indian patent for the timer-based switch used in these drones. The researchers at the Kalam Advanced Drone Research Centre are planning to utilize the same technology to transport human organs, rare blood, or plasma from important hospitals in the near future.

In other news, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet has approved a drone policy that enables the police to monitor the use of unmanned aircraft systems in the state. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted the need for monitoring drone activities to prevent potential misuse.