The Army is planning to establish drone training centres and hubs at 19 major training establishments across the country, including the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, the Infantry School in Mhow, the Officers Training Academy in Chennai and Gaya, and the School of Artillery in Deolali.
The move is intended to integrate drone training facilities into the standard training curriculum for all ranks, in line with the inclusion of drones as a standard weapon system in the defence forces following Operation Sindoor.
In a limited Expression of Interest published for select vendors, the Army has sought proposals for the purchase of training aggregates to establish state-of-the-art drone training facilities in 19 major training establishments across India. The urgency of the move is evident from the fact that these purchases are being made under emergency revenue procurements.
The plan covers multiple categories of drones, training simulators with allied infrastructure, and the setting up of 24×7 outdoor manoeuvre ranges and indoor training areas at all these Category A training establishments.
These facilities will provide training as well as certification to all ranks of the Army.
Nearly 1,000 drones of various categories, with ranges from 200 m to 50 km, will be procured as part of the drone training infrastructure under this deal.
The types of drones to be provided will include over 800 nano, micro, small and medium drones (as per weight categories), 140 first-person view (FPV) drones, and nearly 600 training simulators with compatible equipment.
Story continues below this ad
Nano drones will be used for practicing basic manoeuvring, motor skills and hand-eye coordination, while micro drones will be used for remote pilot training and basic surveillance. Small drones will be deployed for day-and-night surveillance and mission planning, while medium drones will be used for day-and-night intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, mission planning, and target grid corrections.
Training FPVs will be used to train personnel in basic manoeuvring, motor skills and hand-eye coordination, while digital FPVs will be used for remote pilot training and for practicing surveillance and kamikaze skills.
The timeline laid out envisages setting up the comprehensive training hubs by January 2026.
According to the EOI, after the contract is awarded, the selected vendors will be required to organise training of selected personnel on the utilisation and maintenance of the training infrastructure.
Story continues below this ad
They will be responsible for conducting 4–6 days of training at four different locations — Deolali, Mhow, Dehradun and Bengaluru — with 25 individuals at each location.
The selected vendors will provide the training material, equipment and instructors.
Earlier this year, the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) said that all Indian Army soldiers will be trained adequately in drones by 2027. ARTRAC has already initiated a roadmap to make drone operation a key part of every soldier’s training.
Last week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh acknowledged the Army Training Command’s decision to provide drone technology-related training to all Army soldiers by 2027, underlining that this resolve will be a game changer.
Story continues below this ad
The Indian Express had reported last month that the Army is set to undergo a significant organisational overhaul that includes integrating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and counter-UAV systems as standard weapon systems at the battalion level across most of its arms.
