IAF Dronathon 2026 Begins at Pokhran to Test Drone Technologies

IAF Dronathon 2026 was started at Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer on September 14, 2022, as India’s defense industry moves closer to conducting tests for unmanned systems in reality. Launched by Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Vice Chief of Air Staff, the three-day event will continue till September 16. Over 20 defense firms, startups, MSMEs, DPSUs and innovators are showcasing innovative unmanned technologies in real operating environment.

What is IAF Dronathon 2026?

It is an IAF initiative to interact with India’s developing unmanned systems industry and conduct assessments of these technologies in tough operating environments.

The participating organizations have showcased Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and associated technologies at Pokhran range. IAF believes that unmanned systems are crucial for complementing manned aviation because of greater reach, persistence, response capability and operational flexibility.

Technologies Under Development at Pokhran

This includes,

• Surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities
• Autonomy
• Swarm technology
• Electronic Warfare
• CUAS (Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems)

And what is very important is that we need to go one step further than proving that technologies work and see if these platforms will be able to bring efficient results to operations in contested and complex environments.

The platforms also undergo the assessment of their adaptability to changing operational requirements and threats.

IAF UAS Roadmap Released

At the inaugural event, the Vice Chief of the Air Staff unveiled the ‘IAF UAS Roadmap’ which gives more insights to the industry about the Air Force’s capability priorities.

It is expected that the roadmap will direct the efforts of the Indian industry, academics and R&D organizations towards the development of new unmanned airborne systems that would fit the Air Force’s needs.

Detection and Tracking of Drones through the Vayu UTtaM System

One of the important highlights of the first day was the live demonstration of Vayu UTtaM, which is a multi-mode UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) system which has been indigenous.

The Vayu UTtaM system at Pokhran was able to detect and track both military and civil UAS. This will assist in coordinating the use of drones in increasingly crowded air space as well as helping in identifying any unauthorised or rogue drones.

Potential uses of the Vayu UTtaM system go beyond military purposes and can be used in airspace safety, civil aviation, and critical infrastructure as well as public safety.

Atmanirbharta Focus

Dronathon-2026 improves the IAF’s emphasis on Atmanirbharta in unmanned systems.

It goes beyond drones themselves to the entire eco-system, which includes propulsion, sensors, payloads, communication systems, autonomy, electronic warfare and countermeasures.