Page 2 - Drones

Search operation underway after drone sightings near LoC in J&K's Poonch

Security forces have launched a search operation after around half-a-dozen drones from Pakistan were sighted hovering over several forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday. The movement of the drones from across the border was picked up over Balakote, Langote and Gursai nallah in Mendhar sector at 9.15 pm on Sunday, the officials said. They said the drones, believed to be launched for surveillance, were seen flying very high and returned to the Pakistani side within five minutes. However, the area was cordoned off and a search was launched with the first light of the day in several areas where the movement of the drones was picked up to ensure that there was no air dropping of weapons or narcotics, the officials said. The use of drones by Pakistan to drop weapons and narcotics has emerged as a major challenge for the security agencies over the past couple of years and accordingly, police have announced a reward

IdeaForge Technology launches Q6V2 GEO drone for advanced mapping uses

City-based drone technology company IdeaForge Technology Ltd on Wednesday unveiled its mapping drone for a host of applications, including glacier mapping, complex urban landscapes surveys, conducting dense forest studies, or monitoring industrial corridors. The global debut at the company's inaugural customer event marks a significant milestone in IdeaForge's mission to equip industries, government agencies, and researchers with cutting-edge aerial mapping and intelligence capabilities, it said. The latest survey-grade UAV, purpose-built to map anything, anywhere, with all-terrain performance, even in the most extreme environments, offers more than 50 minutes of flight time with a LiDAR payload, under 7 kg take-off weight, among others, IdeaForge said. The Q6V2 GEO enables urban planning teams to build 3D city models and conduct infrastructure audits, helps the mining sector calculate volumes and automate compliance reports, and supports utility companies with tower inspections and

Delivery drones coming to more US neighbourhoods after slow start

Delivery drones are so fast they can zip a pint of ice cream to a customer's driveway before it melts. Yet the long-promised technology has been slow to take off in the United States. More than six years after the Federal Aviation Administration approved commercial home deliveries with drones, the service mostly has been confined to a few suburbs and rural areas. That could soon change. The FAA proposed a new rule last week that would make it easier for companies to fly drones outside of an operator's line of sight and therefore over longer distances. A handful of companies do that now, but they had to obtain waivers and certification as an air carrier to deliver packages. While the rule is intended to streamline the process, authorised retailers and drone companies that have tested fulfilling orders from the sky say they plan to make drone-based deliveries available to millions more US households. Walmart's multistate expansion Walmart and Wing, a drone company owned by Google pa

Defence Ministry clears ₹67,000 crore military upgrade for armed forces

The Defence Ministry has cleared proposals worth ₹67,000 crore to boost the operational capabilities of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, including drones, radars, missile systems, and maintenance deals

Student-built radar-evading drones from BITS Pilani enter Army service

Two 20-year-old students from BITS Pilani's Hyderabad campus founded Apollyon Dynamics, whose radar-evading drones are now active across multiple Army bases

Panic grips UP village as drones spotted flying over homes at night

Panic has gripped residents of Chhajlat area here following the repeated spotting of drones flying over their homes at night. Fearing that organised gangs are using drones to conduct recces to commit burglaries, several residents have begun carrying out night patrols and even resorting to firing in the air to deter potential criminals. The latest incident occurred on Thursday night. A drone was seen hovering in the sky, prompting the panicked villagers, believing that thieves were targeting their homes, began firing in the air. Locals have recorded videos that are now circulating in the community. According to Superintendent of Police (Rural) Kunwar Akash Singh, while the police are actively investigating the matter, the incidents currently "appear to be a simple act carried out by a few youths." "Such drones are easily available in the market and are likely being used to create panic among the villagers," Singh said. "We are investigating the matter. We will soon identify and ..

Self-reliance in UAVs, C-UAS strategic imperative for India: CDS Chauhan

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Wednesday said recent conflicts globally have demonstrated how drones can "shift tactical balance disproportionately", and asserted that self-reliance in UAVs and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) is a "strategic imperative" for India. In his address at an event held at Manekshaw Centre here, Gen Chauhan also said Operation Sindoor has shown why indigenously developed Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and C-UAS "built for our terrain and our needs are crucial". A day-long workshop on 'Indigenisation of Critical Components Currently Being Imported from Foreign OEMs in the Areas of UAV & C-UAS' is being hosted by Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff (HQ-IDS), in collaboration with the think-tank Centre for Joint Warfare Studies. The event comes against the backdrop of recent India-Pakistan hostilities, including Operation Sindoor, which highlighted the strategic importance and operational effectiveness of UAVs and C-UAS, the Defence

'AFMS looking at drone use to supply blood bags, medicines in hilly areas'

The Armed Forces Medical Services is exploring the use of drone technology to deliver blood bags, medicines and other medical supplies in hilly and hard-to-reach areas, Director General of AFMS, Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, has said. She also said the AFMS was responsible for the health requirements of all four astronauts currently part of the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station. Vice Admiral Sarin was speaking on Saturday on the sidelines of a commissioning ceremony for five medical cadets at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) in Pune. She said the AFMS is integrating modern technologies like telemedicine, Artificial Intelligence (AI), point-of-care devices, and drones to strengthen healthcare delivery. We are looking at using drone technology for the supply of blood bags, medicines, and other medical equipment. In fact, we are hoping for a day when even medical evacuations can be carried out using drones, she said. The technology is currently being consid

Russia fires drones, missiles at Ukraine overnight; Lutsk hit hardest

Russia fired a record 728 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, as well as 13 missiles, the Ukrainian air force said Wednesday, in the latest escalation amid mounting Russian aerial and ground attacks in the more than three-year war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the city of Lutsk, which lies in Ukraine's northwest along the border with Poland and Belarus, was the hardest hit, though 10 other regions were also struck. Lutsk is home to airfields used by the Ukrainian army. Cargo planes and fighter jets routinely fly over the city. No casualties were immediately reported, as emergency crews continued to assess the damage. Russia has recently sought to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences by launching massive aerial assaults, including adding more decoy drones to its attacks. Russia launched its previous largest aerial assault late in the night of July 4 into the following day, with the biggest prior to that occurring less than a week earlier. Russia's bigger army h

India planning ₹2,000 crore drone incentive after Pakistan conflict

India's push to build more home-grown drones stems from the four-day clash with Pakistan in May that marked the first time New Delhi and Islamabad utilized UAVs at scale against each other

AVPL International announces $1 mn R&D investment for defence drones

Drone manufacturing and training firm AVPL International on Friday announced an investment of USD 1 million (about Rs 8.5 crore) towards research and development of defence drones. in April 2025, the company committed USD 12 million to drone training and manufacturing. The new investment aims to accelerate the indigenous development of advanced unmanned aerial systems (UAS) tailored for India's defence, homeland security, and dual-purpose applications, according to a company statement. "The investment focuses on addressing critical gaps in India's drone ecosystem, such as reducing dependence on imported components, developing intelligent drones with advanced swarm autonomy, and creating indigenous counter-UAS capabilities to protect critical assets. "AVPL's efforts also include high-altitude platforms capable of sustained flight in extreme terrains, with specific attention to the Himalayan region," it said. The investment will also contribute towards enhancing AVPL's manufacturing

Drones can safely deliver blood in tough terrains, finds ICMR study

The integrity of blood components and parameters do not get compromised, and blood can be transported safely by drones, particularly in far-flung areas and difficult terrains, an ICMR study has found. The feasibility study to evaluate the efficiency and sustainability of drone-based delivery of blood saw the drone travel around 36 km in eight minutes, while a van took around 55 minutes to cover the same distance. The study titled "Adopting drone technology for blood delivery: a feasibility study to evaluate its efficiency and sustainability" tried to determine how drone delivery impacts the quality and stability of blood components after transport, compared to traditional delivery methods. The study published in the Springer Nature journal said that in the future, drones could be an option to deliver other important and time-sensitive medical supplies, such as emergency drugs or pharmaceutical products as well. Blood and blood component transfusions may be lifesaving for patients i

Raphe mPhibr raises $100 million in landmark defence drone funding round

The defence tech firm plans to ramp up domestic drone production after securing the sector's largest private funding round; its drones were recently used in Operation Sindoor

Russian long-range drones haunt Ukraine's nights with deadly strikes

How Russia's terrifying long-range drone program has brought about a deadly new phase in the war

Drone dominance: Who really rules the skies in 2025?

Drones are redefining modern warfare, delivery systems, agriculture—and global power. But which countries are leading the UAV revolution in 2025?

Garuda Aerospace opens agri-drone indigenisation unit near Chennai

Drone manufacturer Garuda Aerospace has established an Agri-Drone Indigenisation facility near the city to design and manufacture advanced Unmanned Aerial Systems among many others, a top official said on Friday. The facility, a first-of-its-kind initiative, augments Garuda Aerospace's existing manufacturing unit located near Chennai and a major leap in advancing drone manufacturing. The products that would be produced at the facility include 7 subsystems (of Unmanned Aerial Systems), 33 parts among others. The production would be covered under the Centre's ambitious 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' campaign. Spread across 35,000 sq ft at Thalambur, near the city, the state-of-the-art facility was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan on Thursday. Garuda Aerospace also launched 300 Centres of Excellence, established in association with various educational institutions and industry partners across the country. It would advance drone innovation, research and

Maharashtra govt to curb illegal sand mining through drone-based surveys

Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has said drones will be deployed to survey minor mineral mining zones in the state as part of the government's efforts to curb illegal sand mining and quarrying. He said the government aims to complete a comprehensive measurement of all mining zones in the state over the next three months. To curb illegal excavation of sand and minor minerals, we have decided to carry out drone-based surveys of mining areas, Bawankule said on Thursday. The minister said that the data collected through the drone surveys will be submitted to the district collectors and uploaded to the Mahakhanij' portal, an integrated mining lease management system. The move is also expected to support artificial sand production projects by ensuring better monitoring and planning, he said. Conventional land surveys often have inaccuracies that hinder efforts to check illegal mining. Our pilot study using drones showed significant accuracy, prompting us to adopt t

Russian strike kills 5, including 1 year old, hours after Trump calls Putin

At least five people, including a one-year-old child, were killed in a Russian drone strike on the northern Ukrainian city of Pryluky overnight, regional governor Viacheslav Chaus said on Thursday. Six more people were wounded in the attack and have been hospitalised, Chaus said. According to him, six Shahed-type drones struck residential areas of Pryluky early Thursday morning, causing severe damage to residential buildings. Hours later, 17 people were wounded in a Russian drone strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv early Thursday, including children, a pregnant woman, and a 93-year-old woman, regional head Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram. At around 1.05 am, Shahed-type drones struck two apartment buildings in the city's Slobidskyi district, causing fires and destroying several private vehicles. "By launching attacks while people sleep in their homes, the enemy once again confirms its tactic of insidious terror," Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.

Ukraine, Russia meet in Turkiye for peace talks amid heightened tensions

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine gathered in Turkiye on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, although expectations were low for any significant progress on ending the three-year war. The Ukrainian delegation led Defence Minister Rustem Umerov was in Istanbul for the meeting, Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said in a message posted on the Ukrainian Embassy Whatsapp group. The Russian delegation headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, arrived Sunday evening, Russian state media reported. Turkish officials said the meeting would start at 1 pm local time, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan presiding over the talks and officials from the Turkish intelligence agency also present. However, Ukrainian spokesperson Tykhyi said the start would be at midday local time. It was not immediately possible to clarify the discrepancy. Recent comments by senior officials in both countries