Overview
- The Ministry of Defence released a draft framework prepared by the Army Design Bureau that it plans to fold into the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2026 after stakeholder feedback.
- The draft requires secure-by-design drones and mandates hardware validation and software penetration testing of critical electronics.
- The move responds to security risks from foreign, especially Chinese, components and a reported 2024 control hijack linked to a Chinese autopilot.
- Vendors must disclose full sourcing and bills of materials and accept tear-downs and destructive tests, with suspension or debarment for falsified claims.
- The rules cover nano, micro and small drones and add checks from early tender stages through service life, with interim government-verified testing until local parts mature.