As drones are rapidly evolving into a standard element of modern conflicts, helping with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) as well as precision strikes, the Indian Army appears to be making every effort to boost its capabilities in drone warfare.
The Southern Command of the Indian Army has come out with a homegrown long-range fixed-wing surveillance drone, named SOM, to boost the Army's ISR capabilities.
According to a Times of India report, the 21 Corps Zonal Workshop in Bhopal under Southern Command has developed the drone, drawing lessons from Operation Sindoor.
"It was designed with emphasis on endurance, range, and flexibility. The SOM drone has an operational range of 30 km in a one-way mission profile and can operate at altitudes of up to 2,000 metres above ground level," TOI quoted an Indian Army official as saying.
According to the report, the platform, which has features such as automatic take-off, position hold, and area survey, is suitable for sustained surveillance over contested or sensitive areas as it has an endurance of 120 minutes and speeds reaching up to 90 metres per second. It will help address operational needs identified by field commanders during operations and military exercises.
The drone is equipped with a daylight camera capable of recording 4K video at 30 frames per second and offering a combined zoom capability of up to 180×, making it highly effective during ISR operations.
"Real-time video telemetry up to 30 km, without latency, allows commanders to make time-sensitive decisions," TOI quoted an officer as saying.