New Delhi: The Indian Air Force has issued a request for proposal (RFP) for the design and development of 'Vayu Baan' -- a helicopter-dropped loitering munition capable of autonomous flight up to 80 kilometres.
The development would mark a significant step in indigenising rotary-wing strike capability under Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The procurement scope covers 10 drone units, two airborne control stations, two ground control stations, and associated payloads and spares.
What Is Vayu Baan?
Conceived as both a loitering munition and a surveillance platform, the Vayu Baan is designed to extend the offensive reach of helicopter-borne operations without exposing the launch platform to direct threats.
The system will be dropped from a helicopter hatch or door, fall to a safe separation distance, and then autonomously deploy wings before transitioning to guided flight.
Once airborne, the drone can be operated either by the crew of the launching helicopter via an airborne control station or by personnel on the ground.
Range, Endurance, and Altitude
The RFP mandates a minimum control range of 10 kilometres from the launch platform. For autonomous operations, the system must achieve either 50-plus kilometres at 30 minutes endurance or 80 kilometres at 15 minutes.
The operational altitude envelope runs from 150 feet to 8,000 feet, covering both nap-of-earth ingress profiles and higher-altitude surveillance passes.
Payload and Strike Options
The Vayu Baan's payload capacity is specified at 500 grammes to 1 kilogramme, with interchangeable mountings for three configurations: an EO/IR sensor suite for reconnaissance and target identification; a minimum 500-gramme warhead for direct strike missions; and a provision for integration with 57mm and 80mm rockets, though the rockets themselves fall outside the contract's deliverables.
Autonomy and Navigation
Beyond kinetics, the RFP sets a high bar for onboard intelligence.
The system must demonstrate GNSS-denied navigation -- a critical requirement given adversary electronic warfare environments -- alongside AI-based target identification, real-time telemetry, and configurable strike profiles that allow operators to tailor the terminal engagement sequence.
The 12-month delivery timeline from contract signing underscores the urgency attached to the programme.
Global Context: Who Else Has This Capability?
India is entering a domain that several militaries and defence firms are actively contesting.
Israeli firm UVision, in partnership with US companies Fulcrum Concepts and Mistral, has developed a helicopter-launched version of its HERO-120 loitering munition -- described as a first of its kind -- designed to be modular and requiring no deep integration into the aircraft's avionics or fire control systems.
The United States Army is actively pursuing helicopter-launched effectors as part of its Launched Effects Family of Systems, with medium- and long-range helicopter-launched munitions forming a planned tier within a broader loitering munition family-of-systems.
Short-range Launched Effects tests have included systems such as Anduril's Altius-600 and AEVEX's Atlas, test-launched from both Bradleys and helicopters.
France has moved forward on rotary-wing loitering munitions, with the DGA awarding the development contract for the Munition Téléopérée – Courte Portée to the Delair/KNDS team, selecting the MX-10 Damocles quadcopter design, with 460 units ordered for delivery in 2025.
Russia fields the Lancet family, while Iran operates loitering munitions with operational ranges between 150 km and 2,200 km, guided using GNSS with some variants equipped with electro-optical seekers.
China, Taiwan, and Ukraine are also among nations developing or procuring their own systems making helicopter-launched loitering munitions one of the fastest-proliferating capability classes in contemporary warfare.
For India, the Vayu Baan programme is both operationally driven and symbolically significant. The IAF already operates Israeli-origin Harop loitering munitions -- systems with over six hours of endurance and a range of 200 km that India inducted for $100 million -- but the Vayu Baan represents a push towards an indigenous, rotary-wing-integrated capability that aligns with the broader Make in India defence posture.
