India's indigenous autonomous loyal wingman drone designed to accompany crewed fighters and suppress enemy air defenses. Features AI-driven autonomous target engagement.
India's LANCA program addresses the operational requirement for a sacrificial drone that can engage adversary air defenses before crewed aircraft enter contested airspace. The system is designed to operate in groups with the Tejas Mk2 fighter, receiving mission data from the crewed aircraft and autonomously prosecuting assigned targets. DRDO has prioritized indigenous development to reduce India's dependence on foreign suppliers for this critical capability.
Successfully tested 2023; Indian Air Force development program; integration with Tejas Mk2 planned
DRDO is India's government research organization. L&T Defence (L&T.NS) and Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL.NS) are the most relevant publicly traded Indian defense companies with exposure to indigenous autonomous systems.