 "An Indian Army soldier uses a drone to keep vigil near the Line of Control (LoC) following an attack on an Army convoy at Akhnoor sector in Jammu and Kashmir, Monday, October 28, 2024. (Photo: PTI)")
The Indian government has scrapped three contracts for the procurement of 400 logistics drones for the army, The Times of India reported. The development came after reported incidents of hacking of drones that use Chinese parts at the international border.
The major crackdown came on the domestic private sector enterprises which uses Chinese parts in drones supplied to the armed forces
A source told TOI that the defence establishment is putting a “stringent mechanism” in place to ensure that the military drones being inducted do not contain any Chinese parts or electronic codes.
The scrapped contract was for 200 medium-altitude, 100 heavy-weight, and 100 light-weight logistics drones. The purchase was worth 230 crore.
The drones were to be deployed at the Line of Actual Control. This decision was made after the 2020 Galwan clashes along the Tibet border, when the Chinese army attempted multiple incursions.
The source emphasised that drones with Chinese parts are a major cybersecurity threat and pose a significant risk of data security and operations being compromised.
This development follows multiple reports of drones used by the Indian army, procured under the Make in India initiative, being hacked in border areas.
The news is highly significant as many armed forces use drones for intelligence gathering, reconnaissance, and offensive purposes.
Drone hacking incidents at border
India Today reported that drones of the Indian Army were hacked twice over the past year at the Line of Actual Control and the Line of Control.
Sources told the magazine that the drones were hacked by exploiting Chinese components in those drones.
A defence official told India Today that in the first case of drone hacking, the drone refused to take off, while in the second case, the drones veered off course and entered Pakistani territory after “people across the border” took control of them.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsChinese dominance in drone market
China leads the global drone market. Chinese firms supply up to 90% of commercial drones, according to CSIS research. One Chinese company DJI alone holds a 70% market share.