India issues RFI for man-portable micro-UAV for Special Forces: GPS-denied, encrypted, autonomous modes required

India’s defence ministry has issued a Request for Information for a man-portable micro-UAV system for the Indian Air Force’s elite Garud Special Forces unit. The RFI specifies operation in extreme environments from minus 20 to plus 50 degrees Celsius, at altitudes up to 16,400 feet, with a minimum 15 km mission range and 60-minute endurance. The system must function in GPS-denied environments, support encrypted comms, and operate in autonomous, manual and target-tracking modes. A minimum 60 per cent indigenous content requirement applies. The procurement reflects the integration of compact autonomous ISR platforms into special forces doctrine, a pattern seen across Five Eyes and NATO special operations commands. Compact man-portable UAVs with GPS-denied autonomous capability are also appearing in police special operations and counter-terrorism unit procurement in Europe and the Gulf.

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