New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has launched its first Dronathon-2026 at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer, bringing defence companies and technology innovators together to test unmanned systems under realistic operational conditions.
The three-day event, being held from September 14 to 16, was inaugurated by Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Vice Chief of the Air Staff. Senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, Indian Army and BSF attended the inaugural ceremony.
Over 20 Defence Firms to Demonstrate Unmanned Technologies
Dronathon-2026 brings together more than 20 companies, start-ups, MSMEs, DPSUs and innovators from India’s unmanned systems ecosystem.
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The demonstrations cover a range of capabilities, including:
- Surveillance and reconnaissance
- Autonomous operations
- Swarm technologies
- Electronic warfare
- Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS)
The IAF is assessing the systems for reliability, effectiveness and adaptability in demanding and contested operational environments.
IAF Releases UAS Roadmap for Industry
During the event, the Vice Chief of the Air Staff released the ‘IAF UAS Roadmap’, outlining capability priorities for the Indian unmanned systems industry.
The roadmap is intended to help:
- Focus industry innovation on future IAF requirements
- Align industry, academia and research organisations with operational needs
- Provide greater clarity on emerging unmanned-system capabilities
The Dronathon is designed to move beyond laboratory or technology demonstrations towards assessing the operational effectiveness of unmanned systems.
IAF Demonstrates Indigenous ‘Vayu UTtaM’ System
The IAF also demonstrated ‘Vayu UTtaM’, an indigenously developed multi-mode Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system.
During a real-time demonstration at Pokhran, the system detected and tracked both military and civil unmanned aircraft systems.
The system is designed to support coordinated management of UAS operations in increasingly congested airspace and help identify and mitigate unauthorised or rogue drones.
Focus on Complete Unmanned Systems Ecosystem
The IAF said Dronathon-2026 reflects its focus on Atmanirbharta in unmanned systems, extending beyond airframes to the wider technology ecosystem.
The areas include:
- Propulsion, sensors and payloads
- Communications and autonomy
- Electronic warfare and countermeasures
- Airspace management
The event will continue at the Pokhran Field Firing Range through September 16.
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