The Indian Air Force (IAF) inaugurated Dronathon-2026 in Jaisalmer, bringing together over 20 defense companies, startups, and innovators. The event, from September 14 to 16, aims to assess the reliability and effectiveness of various operational capabilities, including surveillance and reconnaissance, autonomous operations, swarm technologies, electronic warfare, and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS).
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, initiated Dronathon-2026 at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer on September 14, 2026. The event is an Indian Air Force (IAF) initiative aimed at engaging with India's unmanned systems industry and assessing emerging technologies under realistic operational conditions.
On the opening day of Dronathon-2026, the IAF demonstrated a key capability of 'Vayu UTtaM,' its indigenously developed multi-mode Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system. During its real-time demonstration at Pokhran, it detected and tracked both military and civil UAS. The capability is designed to facilitate coordinated management of UAS operations in increasingly congested airspace, while also supporting the identification and timely mitigation of unauthorized or rogue drones.
Participating companies and innovators will showcase their Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and associated technologies at the Pokhran range. The demonstrations encompass a wide range of operational capabilities, including surveillance and reconnaissance, autonomous operations, swarm technologies, electronic warfare, and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS).
The central focus of Dronathon-2026 is to move from technology demonstration to operational effect. The systems are being assessed for their reliability, effectiveness in demanding and contested environments, and ability to adapt to evolving operational requirements and emerging threats.
During the event, the VCAS also released the ‘IAF UAS Roadmap’, providing greater clarity to Indian industry on capability priorities. The roadmap is intended to facilitate focused innovation and enable the unmanned airborne systems industry, academia, and research organisations to align their efforts with the future requirements of the IAF.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
