Indian Navy probing feasibility of drones for reloading VLS at sea
Why it matters: This could significantly enhance the Indian Navy's sustained combat endurance during naval operations.
- The Indian Navy has issued a problem statement, 'Rearming by Drone (REARM-D) at Sea,' to develop a drone-based reloading system.
- The proposed multi-rotor drone would be designed to reload surface-to-air missiles into VLS cells on warships.
- The primary goal is to enable faster rearming of warships at sea, particularly in scenarios involving the rapid expenditure of SAMs against low-flying threats.
The Indian Navy is exploring the use of multi-rotor drones for reloading surface-to-air missiles in Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells on warships while at sea, a project dubbed 'Rearming by Drone (REARM-D) at Sea.' This initiative aims to address the rapid depletion of SAMs during engagements with low-flying threats.
