The Indian Air Force is set to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to five domestic startups for swarm drones that are capable of both punitive action and load-carrying capabilities.
The RFP will be issued for two sets of swarm drones, which will cost about Rs. 100 crore ($13.6 million) in total.
Sources noted that the firms will be given all the help possible from the IAF so that more complex systems can be developed and the swarm drone capability can be taken to much higher levels than what it is right now.
“Swarm drones work in numerical strength. The more there are, the better it is. The big swarms can itself be divided into multiple smaller swarms, each equipped for a specific target. The world of possibilities with the drones is something that one is still understanding,” a source was quoted saying.
The IAF began the Mehar Baba Swarm Drone Competition in 2018, receiving 154 applicants from across the country. Of these, 54 were selected in the first round and 20 were selected in the second round.
The 20 who were selected were asked to demonstrate 10 drones with 10-km range and 10 medical drops in Pokharan, and were reimbursed Rs. 25 lakh ($34,000) each by the IAF.
The top five were then given a task to demonstrate a 50-km range with 20 drones and 20 medical or emergency aid drops in GPS-denied, rogue drone and anti-drone jamming environment.
All top five firms of the competition were startups and had beaten top defense companies. The IAF eventually awarded Rs 2.5 crore ($340,000) in the final round to each competitor, sources said, adding that the whole process lasted two years.
