India to purchase more Heron drones from Israel, enhance surveillance along China and Pakistan borders

After their successful employment in Operation Sindoor this year, the Indian Defence Forces are making plans to buy additional Israeli Heron UAVs and equip them with air-launched Spike anti-tank guided missiles.

The Indian Defence Forces already employ Heran drones from their respective bases in all three defence services – Army, Navy, and Air Force. Heron drones are also employed by intelligence agencies to be used in special operations.

Defense officials said the Army is placing new orders for more units of Heran drones. They were successfully used for intelligence, surveillance, and recognition missions during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May.

Officials said efforts are also underway to arm these drones. A branch of the armed forces is working to equip Heran drones with the Spike-NLOS (Non-Line-of-Sight) anti-tank guided missile, enabling them to attack enemy targets in future conflicts.

The Heran drones are used mainly for long-distance surveillance at the Chinese and Pakistani borders and have been extremely effective. The Indian Air Force and the Defense Ministry have also been engaged for years in enhancing the Heran's surveillance and strike capabilities under Project Cheetah.

India has also recently bought the state-of-the-art Heran Mark 2 drones. These advanced UAVs are equipped with satellite communication systems, allowing them to fly longer distances and perform longer missions.

Additionally, India has its own indigenous program to develop Medium Altitude Long Endurance Drones. Under this program, the government plans to procure 87 UAVs through a competitive bidding process.