New Delhi: The Indian Navy is actively enhancing its missile defence training by pursuing next-generation expendable aerial targets (EAT-NG). These advanced disposable drones are designed to closely mimic high-speed, sea-skimming anti-ship missiles — providing realistic live-fire practice for naval crews.
The Ministry of Defence has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for these systems, aiming to boost at-sea anti-missile proficiency amid evolving maritime threats in the Indian Ocean Region.
Why the Indian Navy Wants Expendable Aerial Targets
The Navy’s surface fleet is equipped with sophisticated surface-to-air missile systems, such as Barak-8. To keep crews trained and combat-ready, realistic aerial threats are essential. Traditional reusable targets cannot fully simulate fast, sea-skimming missiles that hug the ocean surface to evade interception.
The new expendable targets are meant to be launched during drills and deliberately destroyed in engagements — giving sailors experience that comes close to real combat conditions.
Indian Navy Expendable Aerial Targets: Key Performance Requirements in the RFI
According to official documents published on the Indian Navy RFI portal:
- Speed: Must reach at least ~300 metres per second (about Mach 0.87) at low altitude.
- Flight duration: Sustain operations for up to 60 minutes.
- Altitude: Capable of flying as low as 5 metres above sea level.
- Manoeuvrability: Must perform sustained 2G turns to emulate agile threats.
- Control: Range of up to 100 km from a ground or ship control station.
- Target quantity: One station should manage at least six targets simultaneously.
The RFI also specifies a low radar cross-section with optional augmentation — for versatile training signatures — and recovery methods if communication links fail.
Launch Flexibility & Operational Conditions
Expendable aerial targets should support rocket-assisted take-offs from ships or shore, operating safely up to sea state 3 and winds of up to 30 knots. After mission termination, the drones must remain buoyant long enough to allow recovery and data collection by boats or helicopters.
Indigenization & “Make in India” Push
The EAT-NG procurement directly aligns with India’s self-reliance goals in defence technology.
The Indian Ministry of Defence has set preference categories under the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020:
- Buy Indian-IDDM: Minimum 50 % indigenous content.
- Buy Indian: Minimum 60 % indigenous content.
This approach pushes domestic players — including DRDO, HAL, Tata Advanced Systems, and Bharat Electronics — to meet high-end performance requirements while building local defence industrial capability.
Role of Indigenous Target Drones
India already has an indigenous high-speed expendable aerial target called Abhyas, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) . It has successfully completed developmental trials and entered mass-production, forming a foundation for future expendable target systems.
Strategic Importance & Future Impact on Indian Navy Expendable Aerial Targets
With key assets like INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya in service and planned growth of the Indian Navy, refining crew skills against aerial threats has become crucial. Realistic expendable target training ensures effective use of advanced missiles and gun systems, making the Navy better prepared against sophisticated anti-ship missiles in the Indian Ocean region.
