In a departure from past practice, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to develop long-range kamikaze drones in partnership with Indian industry.On June 12, the IAF issued a limited tender enquiry to select Indian companies, stipulating that the drones must be indigenously designed, developed and manufactured. The IAF’s 5 Base Repair Depot (BRD) at Sulur, Coimbatore, will serve as the nodal agency for the project.The IAF’s direct involvement in developing a military platform marks a significant shift from the usual procurement model. Typically, the force lays down operational requirements and specifications, leaving industry to design and manufacture the equipment.Under the proposed project, the IAF intends to retain ownership of the intellectual property rights (IPR), enabling future modifications and upgrades. Sources said this would also allow the BRD to scale up production as and when required.In military terminology, ‘kamikaze’ drones are known as “one-way attack unmanned aerial systems”. These platforms are launched to strike designated targets and are not intended to return after completing their mission.The IAF is seeking a fixed-wing drone capable of operating at an altitude of 16,000 feet, functioning in both day and night conditions, and carrying a payload of at least 30 kg. The payload should be modular and swappable, allowing the drone to carry munitions, airborne data relay systems or sensors, depending on mission requirements.The weapon system will be developed jointly by the IAF and industry partners. Preference will be given to local suppliers in line with the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and efforts to boost domestic defence manufacturing.The IAF has also specified that the drone must be free of any Chinese-origin technology, components or materials.The joint development effort will cover the airframe and other critical systems and subsystems. The airframe must be capable of withstanding operational loads encountered during launch, cruise, manoeuvring and mission execution.The project also envisages the development of an autopilot system capable of fully autonomous operations, including launch, waypoint navigation, loitering, mission execution and, where applicable, return-to-base functionality.Additionally, the IAF has sought a complete maintenance ecosystem, including support for the drone’s flight controller, associated hardware and software, version management, and an indigenised supply chain at the user’s premises.The drone is expected to be launched from a static platform, with the launcher designed to provide consistent launch performance and support rapid deployment in field conditions.