The Union government has scrapped three deals to procure 400 drones for the armed forces as the local private sector companies were using Chinese components in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the Times of India reported.
The contracts were cancelled for 200 medium-altitude, 100 heavy-weight and 100 light-weight logistics drones, collectively worth over ₹230 crore, said the report.
The deals were signed in 2023 with a Chennai-based company.
“Unfortunately, some Indian companies are using Chinese components and electronics in the drones they are producing for the armed forces. This is a major cybersecurity threat, with the possibility of data security and operations being compromised,” the report quoted a source as saying.
“An adversary can seize control of a drone or `soft kill’ it through jamming. There may be a `backdoor’ in the electronics that bypasses security protection measures.”
The government is also considering stringent measures to ensure the defence drones do not have “any Chinese parts or electronics as well as malicious codes”, the report said.
The drones were primarily meant for deployment along the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control with China.
The development comes after an incident in August 2024 came to light when an infantry unit deployed along the Line of Control lost control of a fixed-wing VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) UAV. The drone veered into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
“An investigation was conducted into the incident. The drone manufacturer was also called for it. It seems there was some technical glitch in the drone. The Army is using over 180 of these drones and the feedback about them is generally positive. The incident in August could be an aberration,” the report said quoting another source.
The department of defence prodction has also asked industry bodies FICCI, CII and Assocham to “sensitise and caution” their member companies from procuring Chinese components for drones and other defence-related equipment.
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