Drones are gradually becoming central to routine military operations in South Asia, and the Indian military is at the forefront of this ongoing revolution. From surveillance missions to logistical support, the Indian military is currently employing drones from the high-altitude terrain of the Himalayas to the sea level near Jamnagar.
While combat-capable drones often attract the most attention, special focus should be given to the logistics drones the Indian army is operating along its northern frontiers. In these areas, mountainous terrain makes traditional transportation of supplies using conventional means expensive and sluggish. The drone operations at high altitudes reflect India’s broader military strategy to improve its capability to launch proactive operations along its disputed borders with Pakistan and China.
In his keynote address at a December 2018 seminar held by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies on “Changing Contours of Mountain Warfare,” then-Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat emphasized the procurement of logistics drones capable of operating in high-altitude regions. Following this, the army issued an open tender to procure such drones.
In its 2022 tender, the army devised two categories: standard and high-altitude drones, those capable of operating at altitudes of up to 12,000 feet and over 12,000 ft respectively. The systems were expected to operate day and night, withstand high altitude winds, have a minimum of 45 minutes endurance, and have a minimum of 10 kilometers of mission range. In addition, the drones must be capable of enduring at least 5,000 landings for the High-Altitude Version and at least 10,000 landings for the standard version.
The initial requirement was to acquire 163 high-altitude and 200 medium-altitude logistics drones, for a total of 363 logistics drones, in November 2022. Later, the army increased the order to 563 drones. In less than three years after the tender became public, the drones were designed, produced, tested, and deployed along the frontlines.
A recent report by Indian online media confirmed that the Indian Army has started deploying payloads through logistics drones at altitudes exceeding 12,000 ft. The Air Orca drone, manufactured by Odisha-based firm BonV Aero, is operational with the Indian Army, providing last-mile supply to the troops deployed along the Line of Control (LoC, the de facto border with Pakistan) and the Line of Actual Control (LAC, the de facto border with China). Other companies are also producing logistics drones for the Indian Army. Scandron recently claimed to deliver supplies even to soldiers deployed at around 18,000 ft via drones.
The logistic drones are force multipliers in the mountains, where distance is not measured in kilometers but hours and days. These drones are meant to support logistics operations in all weather conditions. During torrential rains in the monsoon season and blizzards in harsh winters, the ability to continue supplying troops around the clock is seriously affected. In addition, landslides caused by natural disasters are another factor that hinders supply missions.
During military campaigns, even a slight delay in troop supply missions can carry significant costs. In this regard, these drones offer a solution that reduces the time required to deliver supplies along the ridgelines and isolated posts located parallel to India’s northern borders. This will enable the soldiers fighting at the front lines to receive continuous replenishment, thus increasing their operational readiness.
The logistics drones will replace the army mules previously used to deliver supplies at the frontlines in high, rugged mountainous terrain. Using mules and porters becomes challenging at heights of more than 15,000 ft, where traveling a small distance can consume six to ten hours. The switch to drones will reduce both the time and the manpower required for supply missions. The drones are also cost-effective compared to the manned rotary and fixed-wing platforms currently used on a larger scale to supply critical supplies while having fewer maintenance issues.
Drones are less noisy platforms as well. With a reduced acoustic signature, they do not attract much attention in places where a line-of-sight view is unclear – such as in mountainous terrain, where natural obstacles like forests, ridges, and the Earth’s curvature restrict visibility and radar detection. The employment of drones will save expensive platforms such as helicopters from undertaking risky operations of delivering supplies along the frontlines, where they can be easily targeted with the adversary’s shoulder-fired missiles and anti-aircraft guns.
Introducing such drones aligns with the Indian Army’s broader strategy to enhance logistical support along the northern borders. This includes recent initiatives undertaken by India, like improving its road and rail connectivity in the regions across the Pir Panjal and Zojila passes to ensure the timely replenishment of military supplies.
While these platforms are not revolutionary on their own, they act as force multipliers when supporting ground units like the Rudra brigade and Bhairav battalions, which are tasked with pre-emptive cross-border operations. These offensive units will need a quick supply of arms and ammunition to sustain their advances. The drones, which are specifically designed to deliver supplies along the frontlines, will likely assist these new offensive forces with capturing and defending heights.
Keeping this in view, the Indian Army’s capability to launch an offensive attack along the Line of Control with Pakistan has increased considerably, especially in regions such as Indian-held Kashmir and Ladakh. Therefore, to address the new challenge posed by the high-altitude logistics drones of the Indian Army, Pakistan can deploy its counter-drone systems along the LOC. This will enhance Pakistan’s deterrent posture by persuading the Indian side that the tools commissioned to ensure swift supply could be effectively countered, thus reducing the efficacy of offensive operations.