The domestic capabilities of TATA Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) in the areas of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) have been greatly enhanced. This includes the entire range of design, development, and manufacturing of vital subsystems like airframes, autopilots, and ground control software.
These systems are designed for complete autonomy and portability to accommodate a variety of field deployment scenarios, and they come with advanced payloads, such as multispectral sensors and high-resolution camerasThe Advanced Loitering System (ALS) family, which includes TASL’s flagship UAV platforms, has been proved in battle and is now in use by the Indian military. Important platforms consist of:
The Defense Minister’s Innovation Award was given to a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with vision-based guidance, targeting, and fail-safe recovery. It has shown to be operationally successful in regions like Ladakh and Rajasthan that are high in altitude and have harsh weather.
An ALS 50-derived loitering munition with a 250-kilometer operational range. It is intended for high-altitude launches from forward landing sites above 10,000 feet, which is essential for border deployments, and it has an internal combustion engine, which increases range and payload capacity.
The platforms now have a “combat-tested” designation as a result of this combat validation, which increases their legitimacy for both internal usage and prospective export abroad. These systems’ accomplishments during Operation Sindoor represent a major turning point for India’s defense sector and the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” mission, demonstrating the expanding importance of the private sector in advanced defense technology.
A Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) class UAV with a propeller engine installed on the back is also being developed by TASL. It is intended for prolonged surveillance flights over 30,000 feet with endurance longer than 24 hours.
This platform intends to significantly enhance India’s domestic UAV ecosystem and lessen dependency on foreign systems while satisfying the Indian Armed Forces’ need for long-range ISR capabilities.
By providing a variety of autonomous drones with advanced payload integration, operational versatility, and demonstrated battlefield performance, TATA Advanced Systems has made a name for itself as a leader in domestic UAV technology and advanced India’s strategic autonomy in unmanned aerial systems.
.an improved version with improvements that have been flight tested in response to operational input from security personnel.
With gimballed day/night cameras and integrated image processing, this surveillance UAV is designed for harsh situations and has been tested for target tracking and surveillance missions.
With features like real-time electro-optical and infrared video feeds, in-flight fail-safes, abort and recovery functions, and mid-mission re-tasking capabilities, these UAVs enable autonomous operations with little operator involvement. They are made to function dependably in a variety of meteorological and topographical circumstances, including harsh and limited areas like ship decks, hilltops, and woodlands.
The VTOL UAV, for instance, weighs about 18 kg, has a baseline range of more than 15 km (with the potential to grow to 25 km), can fly for up to two hours, and can reach altitudes of up to 3,000 meters. It also automatically switches between vertical takeoff and fixed-wing flight.
Active combat deployment of TASL’s UAVs has occurred, most notably during the cross-border counterterrorism operation Operation Sindoor in May 2025. In order to improve strike accuracy and reduce collateral damage, the drones were essential for reconnaissance and precision targeting.
