Overview
- The planned buy covers about 850 loitering munitions with launchers to be procured from domestic manufacturers under fast-track procedures.
- Outlets cite an estimated value of roughly Rs 2,000 crore, while no formal announcement or contract award has been issued.
- The drones are intended to equip the Army as well as the Navy, Air Force and special forces for precision strike roles.
- The Army plans to establish an Ashni platoon in each infantry battalion to operate these systems for strikes and counterinsurgency missions.
- Longer-term planning reported by defence sources envisions inducting around 30,000 loitering munitions across combat formations.