Defence Street 
- UAVs to support tactical operations across the challenging terrain of Northeast India
National, September 2026: BonV Aero, a heavy-payload UAV manufacturer from Odisha, has supplied 45 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the Indian Army's Eastern Command to support tactical missions, including moving critical supplies and other mission-specific payloads. The deployment extends the company’s aerial mobility solutions to support missions across Northeast India's challenging terrain.
The move comes as the Ministry of Defence recently floated a tender for 2,715 logistics drones. The scale of the request reflects the growing role of UAVs in frontline operations, including moving essential supplies and other mission-critical payloads across challenging terrain.
The delivered UAV systems are purpose-built for multi-role frontline operations, providing a resilient aerial logistics capability to transport critical supplies, operational equipment, and mission-configured payloads and enhancing operational reach in complex environments.
The Eastern Command operates across a diverse geographical area, from forested and riverine stretches to high-altitude Himalayan posts. During the monsoon, flooding and landslides can disrupt road routes, while higher-altitude locations face snow, steep approaches, and rapidly changing weather.
The Indian Army has been seeking drone-based solutions to move essential supplies across inaccessible areas in the Northeast, while also addressing the region's persistent security challenges. The deployment of 45 BonV Aero UAVs responds directly to this operational need.
“Aerial mobility solutions can act as a force multiplier for the Indian Army, particularly in terrain where surface-based movement has traditionally been the primary means of moving essential supplies. Heavy-payload UAVs can complement existing modes of movement by enabling troops to receive critical supplies and other mission-specific payloads even when terrain, weather or accessibility pose challenges. As these systems become more capable, the focus will be on improving payload capacity, range, reliability, ease of deployment, field-level maintenance and mission adaptability, while ensuring they can be effectively sustained and integrated into frontline operations,” said Satyabrata Satapathy, Co-founder & CEO, BonV Aero.
BonV Aero has previously carried out drone operations and trials for the Army in Tawang, Siliguri, Dimapur, Kargil, Dras, Nyoma, Baramulla, and Kupwara. In addition, the company has trained more than 150 Army personnel on its systems in the Northern Command.
BonV Aero holds a world record for carrying a 30-kg payload to 19,024 feet at Umling La. The operation took place in mountain and glacier terrain, where low oxygen levels, extreme cold, and high-altitude conditions test both flight performance and operational planning. It also reflects the growing role these platforms play in supporting critical supplies and other operational needs in strategically important areas.