Indian Coast MALE Drones: The Defence Ministry has started the process to buy 10 Medium Altitude Long Endurance, or MALE, drones for the Indian Coast Guard. These drones will help the force watch India’s sea borders more closely, including areas near Pakistan and other coastal stretches. The official Request for Information for this purchase was posted on 15/07/2026 on the Indian Coast Guard website.
The ministry said, “The Ministry of Defence, Government of India, intends to procure Ten (10) Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) for use by Indian Coast Guard,”. The Coast Guard has also said the new drones are meant for search and rescue work and for keeping mariners safe in the Exclusive Economic Zone, which covers 200 nautical miles from the coast. In some places, the Indian Search and Rescue Region can stretch up to 1000 nautical miles from the coastline.
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Why are the Drones Needed?
The Coast Guard wants these drones because it needs better watch systems beyond the line of sight. SATCOM-enabled MALE UAVs can stay in the air for longer and cover wide areas across the sea and along borders. That makes them useful for nonstop surveillance and for spotting trouble early.
This is also an important step because the Indian Coast Guard has so far used Dornier maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters for such missions. With these new large drones, it will be using a newer and bigger unmanned system for the first time in surveillance and search and rescue duties. The bid deadline for interested companies has been fixed for 07/10/2026.
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Stronger Watch on Sea Borders
The Coast Guard already plays a big role along India’s western and eastern sea sides. It keeps a close eye on the maritime border with Pakistan in Gujarat. It also watches for illegal activity along the eastern coast and around the island areas of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep. These new drones are meant to make that job even stronger and help the force see farther and respond faster.
A larger drone fleet is part of the wider defence push to improve surveillance across land and sea. The move also fits with the growing use of unmanned systems in India’s defence network. With the Coast Guard now looking for 10 MALE RPAs, its ability to track ships, monitor coastal movement, and support rescue work is set to get better.
