Defence Ministry Floats ₹2,000-Crore Tender for MALE Drones to Boost Coast Guard’s Maritime Surveillance

New Delhi, July 2026 : In a major step towards strengthening India’s maritime security architecture, the Ministry of Defence has launched a ₹2,000-crore procurement programme to acquire 10 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones for the Indian Coast Guard. The project marks a significant milestone as it will be the first time the Coast Guard operates large unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for maritime surveillance, search and rescue operations, and coastal security.

The Ministry has issued a Request for Information (RFI), formally initiating the acquisition process under the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. The drones are expected to significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the Coast Guard’s Aviation Wing, which currently relies primarily on Dornier maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters for surveillance and rescue missions.

Leading Indian defence manufacturers, including Adani Defence, Tata Advanced Systems, Solar Industries, and several other domestic companies, are expected to compete for the prestigious contract. Interested vendors have been asked to submit their bids by October 7, 2026, following which technical and commercial evaluations will begin.

The proposed MALE drones will provide the Coast Guard with persistent surveillance capability across India’s vast maritime domain. Designed to remain airborne for 24 to 48 hours at altitudes ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 feet, these advanced unmanned aircraft will enable continuous monitoring of sea lanes, offshore assets and remote maritime regions that are difficult to cover using conventional aircraft alone.

Officials believe the induction of MALE drones will transform the Coast Guard’s ability to safeguard India’s maritime interests by providing real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance over large stretches of ocean.

A key objective of the acquisition is to strengthen surveillance across India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends 200 nautical miles from the country’s coastline. The drones will also operate within India’s designated Search and Rescue Region (SRR), which stretches up to 1,000 nautical miles in certain sectors, enabling faster response during maritime emergencies involving merchant vessels, fishing boats and other civilian traffic.

The drones are expected to play a vital role in locating distressed vessels, supporting rescue operations, monitoring illegal fishing activities and tracking suspicious maritime movements far beyond the visual range of conventional patrol aircraft.

The Coast Guard has identified the growing need for beyond-line-of-sight surveillance, particularly in strategically important maritime regions. Equipped with satellite communication (SATCOM) systems, the new drones will be capable of transmitting real-time imagery and intelligence continuously to command centres, significantly improving maritime domain awareness.

The UAVs will also enhance surveillance along sensitive coastal areas bordering Pakistan, particularly the Gujarat coastline, while strengthening monitoring capabilities across the eastern seaboard and India’s island territories, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. These regions are considered strategically important due to increasing maritime traffic, illegal fishing, smuggling and other transnational security challenges.

Under the procurement process, bids will be evaluated through a single-stage, two-bid system, where technical and commercial proposals will be examined separately. Equipment meeting the technical requirements will undergo no-cost, no-commitment field trials in India to verify operational performance under Indian conditions before the final selection.

Following successful trials, a Contract Negotiation Committee (CNC) will negotiate commercial terms with the lowest eligible bidder before the contract is awarded. Winning vendors will also be responsible for providing long-term maintenance support, spare parts, training and specialised maintenance equipment to ensure sustained operational readiness throughout the drones’ service life.

The Coast Guard project complements the Ministry of Defence’s much larger ₹32,000-crore programme to procure 87 MALE drones for the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. That ambitious tri-services acquisition has already attracted interest from major defence companies, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Adani Defence, Solar Industries, Larsen & Toubro, Raphe mPhibr and other indigenous manufacturers.

Industry experts expect many of the same firms to participate in the Coast Guard tender, further strengthening India’s push towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Modern MALE drones are equipped with sophisticated electro-optical and infrared sensors, synthetic aperture radar, maritime surveillance payloads, secure communication links and advanced navigation systems, enabling them to detect, identify and track targets over long distances regardless of weather or lighting conditions.

For the Indian Coast Guard, these platforms will act as force multipliers by complementing existing manned aircraft, extending surveillance coverage and reducing operational costs while enhancing mission effectiveness.

With India’s maritime interests expanding rapidly and strategic challenges growing across the Indian Ocean Region, the induction of MALE drones represents a major leap in the Coast Guard’s surveillance capabilities. The acquisition is expected to significantly improve maritime security, strengthen coastal defence, enhance disaster response and reinforce India’s ability to protect its extensive coastline and vital sea lanes through cutting-edge unmanned technology.

Team Maverick.