India Buys Belarus-Made Berkut-BM Attack Drones
India has acquired dozens of Belarus-made Berkut-BM one-way attack drones. The Berkut-BM is a kamikaze drone developed by the Indela
Following Operation Sindoor, a key security upgrade that demonstrated how contemporary warfare is changing in real time, India will acquire its first dedicated drone runway to keep a hawk-eye in the sky.
The Indian Army will have this base of more than 900 acres in Meerut. The Border Roads Organization, under the Defence Ministry, has initiated the process to construct a dedicated military aviation base for High-Altitude Long-Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft. The BRO has requested bids for Project Management Consultancy services for the Rs 406-crore project.
The base will feature a 2,110-metre-long, 45-metre-wide runway, intended not only for drones but also for transport aircraft in the C-295 and C-130 classes. The runway will have ICAO CAT-II-compliant lighting and contemporary navigational aids, allowing operations even in low visibility. Two large hangars, each 60 by 50 metres, will house aircraft and RPAs, enabling maintenance and rapid deployment.
The scale of planned activity is substantial. The facility will support the movement of heavy aircraft annually, accompanied by about 1,500 RPA operations, roughly four drone sorties per day.
During Operation Sindoor, drones were widely used for surveillance, reconnaissance and precision targeting. Military planners observed how sustained drone operations improved situational awareness while minimizing risk to personnel.
Lessons from such operations have reinforced the significance of dedicated infrastructure to sustain high-tempo unmanned missions.
HALE RPAs, particularly, are intended to stay airborne at high altitudes for long durations, providing instantaneous intelligence across vast stretches of terrain. In border situations, that endurance can mean the difference between reacting to events and anticipating them.
The Meerut base stretches across 85 months. 7 months are owed for pre-award planning and DPR preparation, followed by 18 months of supervised construction. A two-year defect liability period and 3 years of maintenance oversight will guarantee operational readiness over time.
The base will not just be an airstrip; it will be a strategic nerve centre. And in Meerut, the steady drone engines may soon become a reminder that the future of defence is increasingly unmanned, data-driven and persistent in the skies.
Source: News 18
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