India to procure additional Israeli Heron Mk II UAVs under emergency provisions

Key facts

• India is procuring additional advanced satellite-linked Heron Mark II unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel under emergency provisions invoked after Operation Sindoor.
• Emergency procurement allows the armed forces to directly procure complete weapon systems up to ₹300 crore.
• Following Operation Sindoor, all three services have opted for the Heron Mk II under emergency procurement.
• The Heron Mark II has an endurance of 45 hours and a service ceiling of 35,000 feet.
• It is equipped with satellite communication, automatic take-off and landing systems, and advanced electro-optical/infrared sensors.
• India’s armed forces have initiated a tri-service programme to acquire 87 Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAVs under the Make in India initiative.
• The estimated value of the Make in India MALE UAV project is over ₹20,000 crore.
• The order will be split between two Indian vendors in a 64:36 ratio, enabling at least 60 per cent indigenous content.