IAF Set to Acquire ₹10,000 Crore I-STAR Spy Planes to Boost Surveillance and Precision Strikes

09 June, 2025:

In a significance boost to the defence capabilities, the Indian Air Force is on the brink of acquiring advanced I-STAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) aircraft through a Rs 10,000 crore project soon to be cleared by the government.

The Defence Ministry is set to consider this proposal later this month to procure three advanced spy planes from foreign manufacturers. These aircraft will enhance the Indian Air Force's ability to obtain clear air-to-ground imagery, enabling precision strikes on enemy targets such as radar stations, air defence systems, and other critical installations.

The onboard systems of these aircraft — part of the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (I-STAR) project — will be indigenously developed by the DRDO’s Centre for Airborne Systems. Once operational, the I-STAR system will place India among a select group of nations, including the US, the UK, Israel, and a few others, that possess such advanced capabilities, according to the reports. 

These high-altitude platforms are designed to detect, track, and engage enemy positions — including radar stations, mobile air defence units, and command centres — all while staying outside hostile airspace. As tensions escalate and Operation Sindoor intensifies along the western front, these systems have the potential to transform India’s aerial superiority on the battlefield.

The I-STAR system shall be for carrying out intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting by day and night from stand-off ranges.