New Delhi: Seeking to enhance the Army’s air defence by manufacturing 23mm anti-drone ammunition, the government issued a Request for Information (RFI) on January 1, 2025 for the manufacturing of 23-mm anti-drone ammunition by the Indian industry. The ammunition is intended to be used with existing Zu 23mm and Schilka weapon system for the destruction of drone and boosting the Army’s air defence capabilities.
According to the RFI, there is a requirement of 23-mm anti-drone ammunition in order to increase the hit probability. The purpose of this RFI is to identify the prospective vendor (DPSUs/private vendors) to undertake the manufacturing of 23-mm anti-drone ammunition under “Make in India”.
The government in the RFI has mentioned about this new requirement by the Army. “Recent conflicts have demonstrated effective employment of drones (to include Commercially Off the Shelf (COTS) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and UCAVs) and loitering munitions for suppression of enemy air defence and precision strike against ground-based Army Air Defence platform. Drones specially COTS variety have low radars cross section (RCS), small size, higher survivability and comparatively lower costs and countering them with the current gun ammunition is a challenge and hence, there is a requirement of anti-drone ammunition which can be fired from existing Zu 23mm and Schilka Weapon System,” it added.
The RFI document says, “Zu 23mm and Schilka Weapon System “currently in service with Army AD are high rate of fire anti-aircraft system”, which are employed for providing point air defence to critical vulnerable areas and vulnerable points. These anti-aircraft guns use 23-mm Armour Piercing Incendiary Tracer (APIT) and High Explosive Incendiary Tracer (HEIT) ammunition.” It adds, “The hit probability of both the ammunitions are low as the guns are manually controlled and the ammunition gets activated (causes damage/destruction) on impact i.e. on direct hit. Thus, in order to increase the hit probability, there is a requirement of 23-mm Anti-Drone Ammunition.”
The in-service Schilka system is an air defence system against attacking aircraft and helicopters.
The 23-mm anti-drone ammunition proposed to be procured should have a “proximity/timed fuse capable of being initiated in proximity to drone/loitering ammunition”. The fragments of the shell should be of adequate number, size, shape and spread in a pattern to cause damage or destruction to the target and the cartridge case should be “compatible with the existing Zu 23mm and Schilka Weapon System held with the Army Air Defence,” says the RFI.
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