UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS & COUNTER-UAS 2027

Seminar & Exhibition | 25 May 2027 | Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi

FROM UNMANNED PLATFORMS TO AUTONOMOUS BATTLEFIELD SYSTEMS

The rapid evolution of unmanned aerial systems is fundamentally changing the character of military operations. Drones have moved far beyond their traditional role in surveillance and reconnaissance to become integral to intelligence, precision engagement, electronic warfare, logistics, target acquisition and networked operations.

At the same time, the proliferation of low-cost and increasingly capable drones has created a new operational imperative: the ability to detect, identify, track and neutralise hostile unmanned systems quickly and reliably.

The Unmanned Aerial Systems & Counter-UAS 2027 Seminar & Exhibition, organised by the Centre for Aerospace Power & Strategic Studies (CAPSS) and Indian Military Review (IMR), will bring together senior military leadership, government, R&D organisations and the defence industry to examine the rapidly evolving UAS and C-UAS ecosystem.

The event will be held on 25 May 2027 at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi.

THE DRONE BATTLEFIELD IS EVOLVING

Recent operational experience has demonstrated that drones can influence the battlefield at every level—from the individual soldier and tactical formation to strategic surveillance and deep precision engagement.

The next generation of unmanned systems is being shaped by:

• AI-enabled autonomy and decision support
• Collaborative and swarm operations
• Long-endurance ISR and persistent surveillance
• Loitering munitions and precision strike
• Electronic warfare and spectrum operations
• Unmanned logistics and resupply
• Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T)
• High-speed and high-altitude unmanned platforms
• Secure, resilient and contested communications
• Networked multi-domain operations

The battlefield advantage will increasingly depend not simply on possessing drones, but on the ability to deploy large numbers of intelligent, connected and survivable unmanned systems—and integrate them into the wider force architecture.

COUNTER-UAS: THE NEW AIR DEFENCE CHALLENGE

The same technologies that are creating new military capabilities are also creating new vulnerabilities.

Small drones, loitering munitions and autonomous systems can threaten military formations, air bases, logistics nodes, command centres, critical infrastructure and other high-value assets. Their low cost, availability and ability to operate in complex environments pose a fundamentally different challenge from conventional air threats.

Effective C-UAS therefore requires a layered and networked architecture, combining:

• RF, radar, EO/IR and acoustic detection
• AI-enabled identification and classification
• Multi-sensor fusion and persistent tracking
• Electronic attack, jamming and spoofing
• Kinetic interceptors and specialised ammunition
• Directed-energy systems
• Drone-on-drone interception
• Command, control and battle-management systems
• Hard-kill and soft-kill solutions operating as an integrated system

The challenge is no longer simply to defeat an individual drone. It is to develop scalable, affordable and resilient counter-drone architectures capable of responding to massed and evolving threats.

FROM TECHNOLOGY TO OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY

The 2027 edition will focus on the transition from promising technologies to deployable military capability.

Discussions will address how the Armed Forces, DRDO, DPSUs, startups and private industry can work together to accelerate:

Requirement → Innovation → Testing → Qualification → Production → Deployment → Upgrade

Particular attention will be given to indigenous technologies, rapid prototyping, modular architectures, open systems, interoperability and the ability to scale production rapidly when operational requirements change.

KEY THEMES

1. UAS IN THE EVOLVING BATTLEFIELD

The expanding role of unmanned systems in ISR, target acquisition, precision engagement, EW, communications, logistics and battlefield awareness.

2. AUTONOMY, AI & DRONE SWARMS

AI-enabled autonomy, collaborative drones, swarm intelligence, human-machine teaming and the future of autonomous operations.

3. LOITERING MUNITIONS & PRECISION ENGAGEMENT

The evolution of loitering weapons, tactical strike systems and affordable precision effects.

4. COUNTER-UAS: DETECT, IDENTIFY, TRACK & DEFEAT

Technologies and architectures for countering small drones, loitering munitions and increasingly autonomous aerial threats.

5. ELECTRONIC WARFARE & RESILIENT UAS

Operating unmanned systems in contested electromagnetic environments, including secure communications, navigation resilience and anti-jamming technologies.

6. MANNED-UNMANNED TEAMING & MULTI-DOMAIN OPERATIONS

Integrating unmanned platforms with combat aircraft, helicopters, ground forces, naval assets and wider command-and-control networks.

7. BUILDING INDIA'S UAS & C-UAS INDUSTRIAL ECOSYSTEM

Opportunities for Indian manufacturers, technology companies, startups, MSMEs and global partners in design, development, production, integration and exports.

A PLATFORM FOR MILITARY–INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT

The event is designed to facilitate substantive interaction between operational users and technology providers.

For the Armed Forces, it provides an opportunity to communicate emerging operational requirements, examine available technologies and engage directly with solution providers.

For industry, it provides an opportunity to:

• Showcase UAS and C-UAS technologies to senior defence decision-makers
• Understand emerging operational requirements
• Identify procurement and capability-development opportunities
• Explore partnerships, co-development and technology collaboration
• Engage with DRDO, DPSUs, Armed Forces and other stakeholders
• Build relationships across the defence industrial ecosystem
• Identify opportunities in India's growing unmanned systems and counter-drone market
• Explore opportunities for indigenous production and exports

EXHIBITION & TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE

The accompanying exhibition will provide companies with an opportunity to demonstrate the technologies shaping the next generation of unmanned and counter-unmanned warfare.

The showcase will cover:

UAS Platforms | VTOL Systems | Tactical UAVs | Loitering Munitions | Swarm Systems | AI & Autonomy | EO/IR Payloads | Radars | RF Detection | Electronic Warfare | C-UAS | Directed Energy | Interceptors | Secure Communications | Navigation & Anti-Jamming | Command & Control | Simulation & Training

WHY PARTICIPATE?

The UAS and C-UAS domain is moving rapidly from experimentation to operational deployment. The companies that can deliver reliable, scalable, interoperable and combat-relevant systems will have an increasingly important role in this transformation.

Unmanned Aerial Systems & Counter-UAS 2027 provides a focused forum to connect operational requirements with technological capability, innovation with procurement, and Indian industry with emerging opportunities in India and overseas.

CONNECT. INNOVATE. INTEGRATE. DEPLOY.

Join senior military leaders, policymakers, R&D organisations and industry at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on 25 May 2027 to examine the technologies and capabilities that will shape the next generation of unmanned warfare.