Over the coming twenty years, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to experience a monumental shift in its operational structure.
India is actively building a robust, long-term strategy for uncrewed air combat, centring on advanced stealth drones, loyal wingman systems, and highly autonomous future aircraft.
Initial estimates suggest that the IAF will start with a modest procurement under the highly anticipated Ghatak project, aiming to equip three to four operational squadrons.
Given that a standard squadron consists of about 20 aircraft, this translates to a need for 60 to 80 airframes.
Recent developments strongly reflect this plan; in March 2026, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the procurement of an initial 60 Remotely Piloted Strike Aircraft (RPSA)—the programme formerly known as Ghatak—under a ₹39,000 crore initiative.
Yet, defence strategists consider the Ghatak merely the starting point of an expansive uncrewed combat ecosystem.
As loyal wingman platforms and next-generation robotic fighter jets join the military's strategic blueprint, the total demand for uncrewed combat aircraft is projected to surge to approximately 20 squadrons in the future.
At the heart of India's stealth drone efforts lies the Ghatak programme, spearheaded by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
This flying-wing aircraft is purposely built to slip through dense enemy air defences undetected, allowing it to carry out precision strikes on crucial targets with minimal risk.
The Ghatak is far more than a standard surveillance drone; it is designed as a fully fledged combat asset that will take on dangerous missions normally reserved for piloted fighter jets.
Powered by a variant of the indigenous Kaveri engine and featuring an internal weapons bay to maintain its low radar profile, its advanced stealth, autonomous intelligence, and deep-strike capabilities mark it as one of India's most significant aerospace ventures.
Beyond deploying drones on solitary missions, the IAF's ultimate strategy views uncrewed systems as vital support tools that will amplify the combat power of human pilots, rather than completely replacing them.
This collaborative approach is clearly seen in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) Collaborative Combat Aircraft System (CATS) initiative.
The programme is currently developing a range of "loyal wingman" drones designed to fly alongside frontline piloted jets like the Tejas Mk2, Rafale, Su-30MKI, and the upcoming fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
The earliest product of this initiative is the CATS Warrior, an uncrewed jet weighing over two tonnes.
ollowing a successful engine ground run in early 2025 and a showcase at Aero India, this loyal wingman is built to carry crucial sensors, electronic warfare equipment, and smart weapons.
By flying ahead into dangerous areas, it extends the sensory reach and firepower of human pilots while keeping them out of harm's way.
Furthermore, reports indicate that HAL has begun working on progressively larger drones, including a 3-tonne prototype and an eventual 5-tonne platform, informally dubbed CATS Warrior-2.
This scaled-up wingman will boast longer flight times, the ability to carry heavier weapon loads, and the capacity to assist in highly complex combat scenarios alongside crewed fighters.
Simultaneously, the DRDO is advancing another groundbreaking project called the Future Unmanned Fighter Aircraft (FUFA).
In contrast to the subsonic Ghatak or standard wingman drones, FUFA is projected to be a twin-engine, high-performance robotic fighter capable of flying faster than the speed of sound (exceeding Mach 1.5) and engaging in sophisticated air-to-air combat.
Expected to enter the prototyping phase around 2026–2027, the successful realisation of FUFA will mark a monumental technological leap.
It will firmly position India among an elite handful of countries developing highly autonomous, supersonic combat aircraft.
The rapid progress of these distinct projects is prompting a complete rethink of how the military organises its forces. Instead of relying solely on squadrons of piloted jets, defence planners are now preparing for hybrid formations where human pilots fly in tandem with swarms of uncrewed automated partners.
Under this new doctrine, a single traditional fighter squadron could be reinforced by numerous loyal wingman drones.
This tactic drastically multiplies the available weapons and surveillance equipment in a battle, enabling the IAF to present a massive combat threat without proportionally exposing more human pilots to danger.
Taking the combined potential of the Ghatak, the CATS Warrior series, and future high-speed platforms like FUFA into account, insiders estimate that the military's total need for uncrewed strike and wingman systems will eventually reach the equivalent of 20 full squadrons.
Accumulating a fleet of this size will fundamentally rewrite India's air warfare playbook.
Rather than treating drones merely as helpful extras, future strategies will rely on them as core combat units tasked with everything from scouting and electronic jamming to deep enemy strikes, decoy operations, and even aerial dogfights.
This technological evolution is deeply intertwined with the development of the fifth-generation AMCA.
As this advanced piloted jet enters service, loyal wingman drones will be essential to its success, allowing a small number of these highly valuable crewed jets to dominate vast stretches of the battlefield and strike multiple targets at once.
