Jaisalmer: The Indian Air Force has launched its first-ever Dronathon-2026 at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer, bringing together India’s leading unmanned systems companies, start-ups and defence innovators to test advanced drone technologies under realistic operational conditions.
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS), inaugurated the three-day event on Monday. The Dronathon will continue from September 14 to 16, 2026, with participation from more than 20 defence companies, start-ups, MSMEs, DPSUs and innovators.
The event is aimed at giving the IAF direct engagement with India’s rapidly developing unmanned systems industry and assessing whether emerging technologies can deliver reliable operational capabilities in demanding and contested environments.
Focus on Surveillance, Swarms and Electronic Warfare
During the Dronathon, participating firms will demonstrate a wide range of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and related technologies.
The demonstrations cover:
- Surveillance and reconnaissance
- Autonomous drone operations
- Swarm technologies
- Electronic warfare
- Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS)
- Advanced sensors and payloads
- Communications and airspace management
The IAF said the exercise is focused on moving beyond conventional technology demonstrations towards actual operational effectiveness. Systems will be assessed for reliability, effectiveness and their ability to adapt to changing operational requirements and emerging threats.
IAF Releases UAS Roadmap
On the opening day, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit also released the ‘IAF UAS Roadmap’, outlining the force’s future capability priorities for unmanned aerial systems.
The roadmap is expected to provide greater clarity to Indian industry, academia and research organisations, helping them align innovation and development efforts with the future requirements of the Air Force.
IAF Demonstrates Indigenous ‘Vayu UTtaM’
A major highlight of the opening day was the real-time demonstration of ‘Vayu UTtaM’, an indigenously developed multi-mode Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system of the Indian Air Force.
During the demonstration at Pokhran, the system successfully detected and tracked both military and civil drones.
The technology is designed to help manage increasingly congested airspace by coordinating UAS operations and supporting the identification and timely mitigation of unauthorised or rogue drones.
The IAF said the system could have applications beyond military operations, including airspace safety, civil aviation, critical infrastructure protection and public safety.
Push for Atmanirbharta in Drone Ecosystem
Dronathon-2026 also underlines the IAF’s push for Atmanirbharta in unmanned systems. The focus is not limited to drone airframes but extends across the wider ecosystem, including propulsion systems, sensors, payloads, communications, autonomy, electronic warfare, countermeasures and airspace management.
The IAF said the initiative will help bring Indian unmanned technologies closer to operational deployment while encouraging industry to develop systems suited to future battlefield requirements.
