Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly appearing in current affairs due to their growing use in defence, surveillance, disaster management, agriculture, and logistics. For UPSC Prelims 2026, aspirants should focus on India’s Drone Rules, 2021, indigenous drone initiatives, and their strategic as well as civilian applications.
Drones in News
| Drones |
Particulars |
| MALE Drones |
- MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) drones are indigenously developed UAV designed to fly at medium altitudes.
- Range: 10,000-35,000 feet and can remain airborne for up to 30 hours.
- Used for surveillance, combat roles, & ISR missions.
- Indian MALE drones include TAPAS, Rustom, and Archer.
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| Songar Drones |
- First indigenous armed drone of Turkey.
- Control: Remote and autonomous; includes auto take-off and landing
- Range & Altitude: Operates within 3 km radius, at altitudes up to 2,800 m.
- Auto return-to-base on signal loss or battery depletion; standby mode for rapid deployment.
- Surveillance: Dual cameras- Navigation + gun-mounted targeting.
- Applications: Border security, ambush response, reconnaissance, precision strikes, aerial-ground coordination, asymmetric warfare, and 24/7 multi-terrain readiness.
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| Rudrastra Drone |
- Successful trails of indigenous Rudrastra VTOL drone by the Indian Army.
- Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) drones operate without runways, enabling use in confined terrains.
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- Rudrastra is a hybrid VTOL UAV with autonomous strike capability. It combines rotary lift for take-off and fixed-wing flight for extended range.
- Developed by Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited in collaboration with Indian Army. Range: 170 km | Endurance of 1.5 hours.
- Equipped with an 8-kilogram airburst munition for wide-area anti-personnel use.
- Uses GPS & onboard sensors for accurate strike delivery.
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| Loitering Munitions (Suicide Drones) |
- Type: Precision-guided, autonomous or operator-controlled drones with warheads.
- Mode of Operation: Drones loiter above the target area, observing and waiting for the right moment.
- Strikes occur by crashing into the target or using guided explosive mechanisms
- Flexibility: Operators can change targets mid-flight or abort the mission entirely.
- Designed for precision strikes on concealed and time-sensitive targets like terror launchpads.
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| Heron Mk II UAV |
- India is procuring Heron Mk II Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from Israel.
- Heron Mk II UAV is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) platform capable of 24+ hours continuous flight for persistent surveillance.
- Can reach an altitude of 35,000 feet, speed of 150 knots and remain in the air for 45 consecutive hours.
- Equipped with advanced sensors, communication intelligence packages and satellite communication support which enables long range, beyond line of sight missions.
- Can carry ~500 kg of mission equipment.
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| Unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) Poseidon tested by Russia |
- It is designed to deliver conventional or nuclear payloads and trigger radioactive tsunamis near enemy coastlines
- It uses a compact nuclear reactor that offers nearly unlimited range and enables long-duration missions without surfacing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What are MALE drones?
- MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) drones are UAVs designed to fly at 10,000–35,000 feet with long endurance for surveillance, ISR, and combat missions.
- What is the Rudrastra drone?
- Rudrastra is an indigenous hybrid VTOL strike drone developed for the Indian Army with autonomous attack capability.
- What is the Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV)?
- Poseidon is a Russian nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle designed to deliver nuclear payloads and potentially trigger radioactive tsunamis.
- What are loitering munitions or suicide drones?
- Loitering munitions are precision-guided drones that hover over a target area before striking by crashing into the target with an explosive payload.
