In a major boost to the Indian Air Force’s offensive capabilities, the Defence Ministry is going to take up Rs 10,000 crore proposal to buy three sophisticated Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (I-STAR) spy planes.
The plane will help the air force in getting a clear air-to-ground picture of the enemy targets, including radar stations, air defence systems and other high-end targets, to carry out precision strikes from stand-off distance.
News agency ANI, based on defence officials’ comments, reported that the Rs 10,000 crore I-Star project is expected to be taken up for clearance at a high-level defence ministry meeting scheduled to be held in the fourth week of June.
The I-STAR project involves procuring three advanced aircraft — likely from international aviation giants like Boeing or Bombardier — which will then be fitted with fully indigenous sensor and electronic systems. These onboard surveillance and targeting systems have already been developed and tested by DRDO’s Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS).
The Indian-built systems will provide multi-spectral surveillance, enabling forces to detect, locate and track enemy assets with precision — day or night, even in complex terrain. Officials said the integration work would be swift since the tech has already been proven. Once operational, the aircraft will offer a dynamic, real-time picture of the battlefield, making India one of the few countries in the world with such strategic air-to-ground surveillance and strike coordination capabilities. Only a handful of nations — including the United States, United Kingdom, and Israel — currently operate such platforms.
