The Author is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army

Bengaluru-based indigenous company 'Cingularity Aerospace' revealed during Aero India 2025 that it is developing its new X-61 intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in conjunction with the Indian Navy's Weapons and Electronics Systems Engineering Establishment (WESEE). Cingularity Aerospace has released information about the X-61 that says it has delta-wings, forward canards, and a vertical tail. It also features a fixed tricycle-type landing gear and is powered by Cingularity Aerospace's 550i, a 550-cc internal combustion piston engine. The UAV is 2.9 metres long, 1.4 metres high, and has a wingspan of 2.4 metres, with an all-up weight of 51 kg.

Bengaluru-based indigenous company 'Cingularity Aerospace' revealed that it is developing its new X-61 intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in conjunction with the Indian Navy

The X-61 has a maximum operating range of 250 km and a service ceiling of 6,000 feet. Its payload bay is modifiable to accommodate different payloads. During flight trials, the X-61 showed a stable cruising speed of 38 m/s and a stall speed of 22 m/s. During the test flights on January 16, 2025, the X-61 was tested for autonomous take-off and landing (ATOL) and return to launch (RTL) at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Chitradurga, Karnataka. The first deck trials for the UAV are expected to be conducted at INS Hansa, a naval air base in Goa, with the Indian Navy's Naval Flight Test Squadron (NFTS). Cingularity Aerospace is building multiple iterations of the X-61 (with other versions weighing up to 110 kg) although the version undergoing flight trials presently is the smallest version.

The India Navy is already in the process of acquiring the American equipped with the American MQ-9 Reaper drones for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. But simultaneously, the Indian Navy is also pursuing development of long-range jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles to enhance its surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR); bolstering maritime domain awareness and improving its abilities to monitor activities in the region for rapidly reacting to developing situations. Why the Navy is wanting long-range jet-powered UAVs is because it understands the drawbacks of the current High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) UAVs which are powered by turboprop engines, in that, they lack the speed to quickly reach the area (s) of interest in the vast expanse of the IOR. This is why the Indian Navy plans to collaborate with indigenous defence and aerospace companies to conceptualise and develop long-range jet-powered UAVs to bridge the required capability gap.

The Indian Navy plans to collaborate with indigenous defence and aerospace companies to conceptualize and develop long-range jet-powered UAVs to bridge the required capability gap

In developing the long-range jet-powered UAVs, the Indian Navy is looking at the following specific requirements: one, extended range - the UAV must have the range to cover the vast distances across the expanse of the IOR; two, high speed - jet propulsion to enable rapid deployment and reduce reaction time to deal with events developing across the region; three, advanced ISR capabilities - the UAV must be equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and communication systems to power real-time intelligence. Comprehensive real-time situational awareness across the IOR is crucial for the Indian Navy to ensure maritime security, as well for power projection by India. The growing geostrategic importance, coupled with the increasing footprints of Chinese naval forces, underscores the requirement of advanced ISR platforms.

In developing long-range jet-powered UAVs, the Indian Navy expects Indian defence and aerospace companies, both state-owned and private sector players, to become key partners. Collaboration with foreign technology could also be considered to accelerate access and development of such cutting-edge technologies.

Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and Israeli firm Advanced Defense Systems have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to co-produce Ice Breaker air-to-surface missile in India under the 'Make in India' initiative

In 2024, the top 10 combat drones in the world (by western standards) were the following in descending order: MQ-28 Ghost Bat (USA); BAE Systems Taranis / Dassault nEUROn (USA); XQ-58A Valkyrie (US); Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B (Russia); Bayraktar TB2 (Turkey); Hongdu GJ-11 (China); Bayraktar Kizilema (Turkey); Altair / Sokol Altius (Russia); Chengdu GJ-2 / Wing Loong II (China); TAI Aksungur (Turkey). Notably three Turkish drones figured in the top 10. Turkey is a close ally of Pakistan and has supplied drones to Pakistan, Maldives and Bangladesh. The UAE showcased its jet-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) 'Jeniah' at IDEX 2025. Designed for multi-domain operations, Jeniah's configuration enables deployment in land and maritime missions, incorporating technology suited for various operational requirements. Ukraine has begun operating its 'Veloce' jet-powered drone against Russian forces to rival the Iranian Shahed 238 drones. Russia is also all set to unleash its new generations 'Geran-3' jet-powered kamikaze drone in Ukraine.

According to news reports of February 17, 2025, India's state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and Israeli firm Advanced Defense Systems, a subsidiary of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Limited, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to co-produce Ice Breaker air-to-surface missile in India under the 'Make in India' initiative. The Ice Breaker is a state-of-the-art long-range standoff autonomous precision-guided weapon system designed for exceptional attack against a wide array of high value targets on land or at sea.

The Ice Breaker is a state-of-the-art long-range standoff autonomous precision-guided weapon system designed for exceptional attack against a wide array of high-value targets on land or at sea

Special features of the Ice Breaker missile include:

• advanced all-weather electro-optical infrared (IR) seeker;
• scene-matching algorithms and Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) capabilities;
• autonomous identification and engaging hostile targets while adhering to Rules of Engagement (ROE);
• effective operations in GNSS-denied environment;
• resilient to electronic countermeasures and jamming and Very Low Observable (VLO) profile; all-weather capability;
• can fly at low altitudes at high subsonic speeds above the ground even with difficult terrain;
• can engage well-defended targets;
• minimal collateral damage;
• missile salvos can be fired for greater effect.

The Ice Breaker missile can be integrated with light-attack aircraft such as the Embraer Super Tucano, giving them enough stand-off range to be safe from naval air defenses. The Ice Breaker as well as its sea-launched derivative Sea Breaker is to start production in 2025. Israel also unveiled its new Ice Breaker air-launched missile in 2022, which can be integrated with various types of combat aircraft. Capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 300-km away, it can be equipped with a 250-pound penetrating, blast, and fragmentation warhead.