Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Drone Technology
Science & Technology › Defence Technology and Missile Systems · Topic 16.7
An unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, or drone is an aircraft without a human pilot on board, flown by remote control or autonomously. A complete system has the aircraft, a ground control station and a communication link, so it is called an unmanned aircraft system. Drones range from nano drones of a few grams to large high altitude long endurance aircraft. Uses include surveillance, strike, logistics, agriculture, mapping, delivery and disaster response. Indian military drones include DRDO's Rustom, Nishant and Lakshya, and the armed forces use imported Heron and Predator class drones. India notified the Drone Rules, 2021, banned import of most drones in February 2022 and has a Production Linked Incentive scheme for drones. In October 2024, India signed a deal for 31 MQ-9B drones.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Science & Technology · Defence Technology and Missile Systems
At a Glance
- Full form Unmanned aerial vehicle
- Indian law Drone Rules, 2021
- Weight classes Nano to large
- Import deal 31 MQ-9B, Oct 2024
- Threat Swarms, loitering munitions
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Science & Technology: Defence Technology and Missile Systems
Where Does It Fit?
This topic follows the account of hypersonic weapons. It covers a fast-changing technology that links defence, agriculture, disaster response and internal security, and leads to the topic on stealth. Previous topic: Hypersonic Glide Vehicles and Hypersonic Cruise Missiles. Next topic: Stealth Technology.
What Are UAVs and How Are They Classified?
| Class | Features |
|---|---|
| Nano and micro | Under 250 g for nano and up to 2 kg for micro in Indian rules. Used for close surveillance and hobby |
| Small and medium | Small is 2 to 25 kg, medium over 25 and up to 150 kg |
| Large | Above 150 kg. The largest MALE and HALE drones fly for many hours at altitude |
| MALE | Medium altitude long endurance, such as Heron and MQ-9B, for surveillance and strike |
| HALE | High altitude long endurance, such as Global Hawk |
| Fixed wing and rotary | Fixed wing fly longer and rotary can hover |
| Target drones | Used for training of air defence, such as Lakshya |
What Are the Military Uses, Indian Systems and Rules?
- Surveillance and targeting: drones give images and signals intelligence
- Strike: armed drones carry missiles or bombs; the MQ-9B can carry a payload of about 1.7 tonnes
- Loitering munitions: kamikaze drones that circle and then dive onto the target, such as Israel’s Harop, which India uses
- Swarm: groups of drones working together to overwhelm defences
- Indian systems: Rustom and Rustom-2 (Tapas), Nishant, Lakshya target, Ghatak stealth unmanned combat aircraft, Archer-NG, Heron and Searcher from Israel, and the CATS Warrior loyal wingman under development
- MQ-9B deal: 31 aircraft, 16 for the Navy and 8 each for the Army and Air Force, worth about 3.5 billion dollars, signed in October 2024 with the United States
- Drone Rules, 2021: liberalised rules: forms cut, no licence for small non-commercial drones in many cases, and the Digital Sky platform with green, yellow and red zones
- Import ban and PLI: import of foreign drones was banned in February 2022, with exceptions, and a PLI scheme of about Rs 120 crore was notified in 2021
What Else Should You Remember?
- Digital Sky Platform: an online portal for drone registration and flight permissions
- Airspace map: green zones need no permission, yellow need approval, and red are no-fly zones
- Drone Shakti: a scheme from the 2022 Budget to promote drone use and drone start-ups
- Kisan drones: drones for spraying are promoted under Namo Drone Didi
- Garuda and others: Indian drone start-ups make surveillance and spraying drones
- Medical delivery: drones have carried vaccines and blood to remote places
- Svamitva: drones map village land for property cards
- Counter-drone: jammers, radars, lasers and guns to detect and stop hostile drones, such as the DRDO anti-drone system
- Jammu drone attack: in June 2021 drones dropped explosives at the Air Force station at Jammu, which raised concern about small drones
- Punjab border: drones are used for smuggling of weapons and drugs
- Wars: drones were used widely in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 and in the Russia-Ukraine war
- May 2025: drone and counter-drone use by India and Pakistan was reported, and the details should be taken from official sources
- Autonomy: artificial intelligence lets drones navigate and select targets, which links with Lethal Autonomous Weapons
- Endurance: battery limits small drones, and fuel or solar power helps larger ones
- Satellite links: long range control uses satellite communication
- Regulator: the Directorate General of Civil Aviation oversees drone rules
- Link: AI use in the forces is in Robotics, AI and Internet of Military Things (IoMT) in Defence
- Cost advantage: small drones cost far less than fighter aircraft or missiles, which changes the cost balance of air defence
- Civil rules for pilots: remote pilot certificates are needed for most commercial drones
- Camera and sensor payloads: electro-optical, infrared and radar sensors are common payloads
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Classes: nano to large; MALE and HALE
- Rules: Drone Rules 2021, Digital Sky
- Deals: MQ-9B 2024
- Current affairs link: counter-drone systems and drone PLI
- Common errors: confusing loitering munition with a normal reconnaissance drone
As an analytical point, cheap drones change warfare by giving small forces and non-state groups an air arm. India must build indigenous drones, supply chains and counter-drone defences while keeping civil use safe.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Classes Sizes
- Rules 2021 regime
- Threat Swarms
What Came Next?
The next topic covers stealth technology. Next topic: Stealth Technology.
Key People and Terms
- UAV Unmanned aerial vehicle
- MALE Medium altitude long endurance
- Loitering munition Kamikaze drone
- Swarm Cooperating drones
- Digital Sky Drone permission platform
- Counter-UAS Anti-drone system
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Drone Rules: 2021.
- Import ban: February 2022.
- MQ-9B: 31 aircraft, October 2024.
- Jammu drone attack: June 2021.
- Regulator: DGCA.
Do Not Confuse With
- Drone and missile Reusable aircraft versus one-way weapon
- Loitering munition and UAV Attacks once versus returns
- MALE and HALE Medium versus high altitude
Memory Hook
Drones scout and strike; Digital Sky sets the zones; swarms need counters.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for rules, classes and examples. These points help.
- Uses Military, civil
- Rules Regulation
- Threat Counter-drone
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Discuss the growing importance of drones in warfare and the steps taken by India to regulate and promote drone technology.”
How to Answer
- Uses Roles.
- Threat Swarms.
- Policy Rules, PLI.
- Way forward Indigenous.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a UAV?
An unmanned aerial vehicle is an aircraft that flies without a pilot on board, controlled by a person from the ground or flying on its own with onboard computers. The full system, with the ground station and data link, is called an unmanned aircraft system. It is widely called a drone.
What are the Drone Rules, 2021?
The Drone Rules, 2021, notified in August 2021, replaced earlier rules with a simpler regime. They reduced forms and fees, removed many licensing requirements, set up the Digital Sky platform with green, yellow and red zones, and allowed drone operations over a wider range, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation as regulator.
What is a loitering munition?
A loitering munition, or kamikaze drone, is a weapon that flies over an area for some time searching for a target and then dives onto it to explode. It combines the features of a drone and a missile, and the Indian forces use systems such as the Israeli Harop.
What is the MQ-9B deal?
In October 2024 India signed an agreement to buy 31 MQ-9B high altitude long endurance armed drones from the United States, at about 3.5 billion dollars. Sixteen go to the Navy and eight each to the Army and the Air Force, for surveillance and strike missions over land and sea.
How can hostile drones be countered?
Counter-drone systems detect drones using radar, radio frequency sensors and cameras, and then stop them by jamming radio links or satellite signals, spoofing, directed energy weapons, nets or guns. DRDO has developed an anti-drone system, and several Indian firms offer smaller solutions.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Drone Rules, 2021 were notified by India.
In August 2021.
2 India banned import of most foreign drones in 2022.
In February 2022.
3 The DGCA is the regulator of civil drones.
Along with MoCA.
4 Loitering munitions return to base after attack.
They are destroyed in attack.
Past Mains Questions on This Topic
This topic comes under Defence Technology and Missile Systems. UPSC Mains questions asked on the matching syllabus topic, year-wise with marks:
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