New Delhi: The Indian army Multi-Tier Steel Mesh Screens project is a new initiative aimed at protecting critical military buildings from drone attacks and aerial threats. According to official information shared through an Army Request for Information (RFI), the protective structures will be deployed at key locations along India’s Western Front. The move comes as drone incursions and cross-border surveillance activities continue to increase, creating new security challenges for military installations.
Why Is The Indian Army Installing Multi-Tier Steel Mesh Screens
The Indian Army is strengthening protection for important field buildings and military infrastructure. The new steel mesh screens are designed to act as a final layer of defence against hostile drones, including kamikaze drones and small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
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Military experts believe that modern conflicts have shown how inexpensive drones can cause significant damage to strategic targets.
What Are Multi-Tier Steel Mesh Screens
The proposed structures are large overhead protective screens made from multiple layers of steel mesh. According to the Army’s RFI, each structure is expected to measure approximately 37 metres in length and 20 metres in width. The design aims to intercept incoming drones before they can directly strike military buildings.
How The System Works
The protection system uses three carefully spaced layers of steel mesh. When a drone collides with the first layer, its speed and energy begin to reduce. The second and third layers further slow and stop the aerial threat before it can reach the protected structure below. This layered approach is intended to improve survivability against small aerial attacks.
Indian Army Multi-Tier Steel Mesh Screens Project: Advanced Camouflage Features Included
The Indian Army wants these protective structures to remain difficult for enemy surveillance systems to detect. To achieve this, the screens will include advanced camouflage and concealment technologies.
The outer layer will feature non-reflective coatings to reduce visibility. Multi-spectral camouflage paint will help the structure blend with surrounding terrain.
Protection Against Modern Surveillance
The camouflage measures are designed to lower both visual and thermal signatures. This can make it harder for enemy drones, sensors, and reconnaissance systems to identify military positions.
Rising Drone Threat Along The Western Front
The requirement comes amid growing concerns about hostile drone activity near India’s western borders. According to Ministry of Defence data for 2025-26, a total of 863 drone intrusions were reported along the India-Pakistan border. Out of these incidents, 854 were recorded in Punjab and Rajasthan.
Security Forces Neutralised Hundreds Of Drones
Indian security forces successfully brought down 237 drones during the reporting period. Recovered UAVs included drones carrying weapons, war-like stores, and narcotics. Several other drones were reportedly used for surveillance and intelligence gathering.
Growing Use Of Drones By Adversaries
The Ministry of Defence has highlighted that hostile elements increasingly use drones for smuggling activities and reconnaissance missions. These activities pose both security and intelligence challenges for border forces.
Indian Army Multi-Tier Steel Mesh Screens Project: Part Of A Larger Defence Strategy
The steel mesh screens will not replace existing counter-drone systems. Instead, they will complement radar networks, electronic warfare systems, jammers, lasers, and anti-aircraft weapons. This layered defence approach is increasingly being adopted by militaries around the world.
New Procurement Plans Underway
To strengthen its drone warfare capabilities, the Indian Army has identified around 30 categories of UAVs and loitering munitions for future procurement. These platforms cover approximately 80 different operational roles.
Officials are also working to integrate artificial intelligence-enabled systems into counter-drone operations.
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FAQs
Multi-Tier Steel Mesh Screens are large protective overhead structures made of multiple steel mesh layers designed to stop drones and other small aerial threats before they can hit military buildings.
The Indian Army is deploying these screens to protect critical military infrastructure from increasing drone attacks, surveillance missions, and kamikaze UAV threats along the Western Front.
The screens use three layers of steel mesh that gradually absorb a drone’s energy, slow its movement, and prevent it from reaching the protected structure below.
