Indian defense forces are set to acquire 97 'Made-in-India' drones for surveillance purposes along China and Pakistan borders, government sources on Monday said. India is moving towards purchasing 97 highly capable drones under the "Make in India" project after choosing to purchase 31 Predator drones from the US.

As per the government sources "a scientific study was carried out by the defense forces jointly and it has been decided that to meet the Medium Altitude Long Endurance requirements, Indian forces would require 97 such drones for keeping an eye on both land and sea."

The Indian Air Force would be the leading service for the over Rs 10,000 crore purchase of these drones, according to government sources. They will also be receiving the greatest number of these unmanned aerial vehicles, which can fly for close to 30 hours straight.

The drones to be acquired by the forces would be in addition to the existing fleet of over 46 Heron UAVS acquired by the three forces over the years in their respective fleets.

In accordance with the "Make-in-India" initiative, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will modernize the drones that are already in use in collaboration with the original equipment manufacturers, where they will have to upgrade their capabilities domestically using more than 60% Indian content.

India recently made the decision to purchase 31 High Altitude Long Endurance Predator drones, which would be used to monitor a large area of Indian interest.

Image source: ANI