CRPF Plans to Acquire Kamikaze Drones with 15 km Strike Range and Surveillance Capability

The news

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is planning to acquire kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can strike targets up to 15 km away while livestreaming surveillance video. The Directorate General of CRPF circulated draft qualitative requirements and trial directives for what it calls OFC+RF-based FPV kamikaze drones on November 5, 2026, and has asked original equipment manufacturers and vendors to submit product specifications by November 25.

The first-person-view UAVs are designed to fly to a designated objective carrying a high-explosive warhead, transmit surveillance imagery back to the operator, and then destroy themselves on impact. According to the requirement note, the drone must be small and light — not more than 7 kg including spool, battery and warhead — with capability to land vertically within a 5x5 metre box. It must fly at 150 kmph or more with full payload, operate in winds of 35 km/h or more during take-off, flight and landing, and stay airborne for a minimum of 30 minutes at 1,000 metres above mean sea level without the warhead and spool, or 20 minutes with them, with endurance falling by a tenth for every additional 1,000 metres of altitude.

What are kamikaze drones and how do they differ from conventional UAVs?

Kamikaze drones, also known as loitering munitions, are a class of unmanned aerial vehicles that combine surveillance with precision strike capability. Unlike conventional UAVs that return after a mission, these drones carry a high-explosive warhead and destroy themselves on impact, making them a one-time-use asset ideal for high-value targets in hostile terrain. The CRPF, India's largest central armed police force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, is primarily deployed for internal security, counter-insurgency, and anti-terror operations, and this acquisition is aimed at enhancing its operational capabilities in such environments.

What are the key technical specifications and operational requirements?

The draft qualitative requirements specify that the drone must be an OFC+RF-based FPV kamikaze drone, weighing not more than 7 kg including spool, battery, and warhead. It must achieve a maximum speed of 150 kmph or more with full payload and operate in winds of 35 km/h or more during take-off, flight, and landing. The minimum endurance is 30 minutes at 1,000 metres above mean sea level without the warhead and spool, or 20 minutes with them, with endurance decreasing by 10% for every additional 1,000 metres of altitude. The drone must also have the capability to land vertically within a 5x5 metre box.