Watch: Army chief observes cutting-edge demos of indigenous drones and loitering munitions

NEW DELHI: Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi witnessed advanced demonstrations of indigenous unmanned aerial systems (UAS), counter-UAS technologies , and loitering munitions at the Babina Field Firing Ranges on Tuesday.

"These capabilities will significantly enhance operational efficiency, force protection and precision engagement across varied terrains," ADG PI Indian Army said in a post on X.

#GeneralUpendraDwivedi, #COAS witnessed cutting-edge demonstrations of indigenous UAS, Counter-UAS and Loitering Munitions on 27 May 2025 at Babina Field Firing Ranges.

These capabilities will significantly enhance operational efficiency, force protection and precision… pic.twitter.com/4pNXRSDJYP

— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) May 28, 2025

The army also posted several pictures of the exercise along with a video.

A loitering munition is a precision-guided weapon designed to hover over a target zone, identify threats, and strike with accuracy—either autonomously or under human guidance—before self-destructing upon impact.

Loitering munitions were put to use during Operation Sindoor , to destroy nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The coordinated strikes, conducted entirely from Indian soil, were based on intelligence inputs that provided exact target locations.

This comes after India adopted a new 'programme execution model' for its indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), allowing private companies to compete alongside the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the project. Approved by defence minister Rajnath Singh, the model aims to speed up prototype development and induction by leveraging a strong domestic aerospace ecosystem — a significant shift from the traditional policy that reserved fighter jet production exclusively for HAL.