India has developed its first “dual stealth drone” that is cloaked in an advanced nanotech material called RAMA (Radar Absorption & Multispectral Adaptive), created by Hyderabad-based Veera Dynamics.
This nanotech stealth coating can be applied as paint or a wrap to military platforms, including drones. RAMA works by blending two carbon compounds that absorb radar waves and convert them into heat, which is dissipated at about 1.5 degrees Celsius per second.
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The material also synchronises with ambient temperatures to achieve thermal balance, significantly reducing the drone’s radar cross-section and infrared (IR) heat signature.
Originally developed for a 2022 naval challenge targeting IR stealth, RAMA demonstrated a 97% reduction in IR signature and has since been upgraded to reduce radar visibility by more than 90%. This multispectral stealth capability makes the drone nearly invisible to both radar and infrared detection systems.
Veera Dynamics has partnered with another Hyderabad-based defence tech firm, Binford Research Labs, to integrate RAMA into autonomous drones that the Indian Army has recently tested. These drones are capable of operating effectively in GPS- and radio frequency (RF)-denied environments, where stealth and survivability are critical for covert, high-risk military missions.
According to Sidhanth Jain, founder of Binford, the RAMA coating compresses the adversary’s detect-to-engage window to near Zero, enhancing operational secrecy and mission success.
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This development is supported by the Indian Ministry of Defence through its iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) program and received early-stage support from IIT-Hyderabad.
The joint initiative aims to scale production of these attritable, dispensable stealth drones, addressing India’s growing demand for mass-deployable unmanned systems capable of operating in high-threat and contested environments.
India’s first dual stealth drone combines autonomous flight technology with the cutting-edge RAMA nanotech coating that obscures the drone from radar and infrared detection by absorbing radar waves, adapting to ambient temperatures, and minimising thermal signatures.
This strategic advancement represents a significant leap in low-observability military technologies for the Indian armed forces.
IDN (Based On NextGenDefense)
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