800 Swarm Drone Systems are in the Pipeline, IAF is Preparing for Major Deployments
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to acquire 800 Medium Range Swarm Unmanned Munition Systems (SUMS). According to a report, these
India has awarded 2.89 billion rupees in contracts to Zen Technologies to upgrade its anti-drone systems. The company will complete the upgrades within a year, integrating lessons learned from recent frontline operations such as Operation Sindoor, a May counterterrorism offensive by India in Jammu and Kashmir.
The contracts enhance both hardware and software adaptability, a capability that foreign systems frequently cannot offer due to export controls and vendor limitations. The advancements target two critical vulnerabilities: physical hardware compromise and software-level malware attacks, the kind seen in the Stuxnet operation that halted Iran’s nuclear program and in the 2024 pager attacks that killed and wounded hundreds of Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
Zen Managing Director and Chairman Ashok Atluri said that the company is keeping India one step ahead in the face of rising threats.
“Buying Indian-designed, developed and manufactured products is not an option, it’s a prerequisite for survival as drone and cyber threats keep evolving,” he said.
Other Anti-Drone Systems Development in India
India is actively deploying a range of indigenous counter-drone solutions to protect against emerging challenges. India’s DRDO, in collaboration with BHEL has developed the D4 system, which integrates radar, RF sensors, electro-optical/infrared cameras, jammers and laser-based directed energy weapons.
It provides both mobile and static configurations and is intended for rapid induction across the armed forces. Adani Defence & Aerospace and DRDO revealed a vehicle-mounted counter-drone system in February 2025 that combines radar, SIGINT/EO sensors, jammers, a 7.62-mm gun, and a high-energy laser. Intended for mobility, it can protect critical areas at ranges of up to 10 kilometres in varied terrain.
Private companies, such as Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited, are developing systems like the Bhargavastra micro-missile anti-drone system, designed to intercept loitering munitions and autonomous drone swarms. These systems validate India’s mounting capability to address sophisticated drone threats beyond commercial drones.
Source: The Defense Post
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