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ideaForge Zolt UAV

History

Mumbai-based unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturer ideaForge unveiled the Zolt vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform at Aero India 2025 in February. The Indian Army selected the Zolt following extensive field trials conducted in electronic warfare environments and awarded a contract worth INR 750 million on 17 November 2025, with deliveries expected to be completed within a year. On 6 October 2026, ideaForge announced the launch of two additional variants: the Zolt Hybrid for persistent ISR and the Zolt UCAV for combat missions. A high-altitude version of the Zolt Hybrid is planned for near-term introduction.

Design

The Zolt is a multi-role tactical VTOL UAV platform designed to operate without a conventional runway, enabling deployment from confined or unprepared sites such as remote outposts. The baseline Zolt and Zolt UCAV are battery-powered for agility and lower-signature operations, while the Zolt Hybrid combines an internal combustion engine with battery power to extend endurance for persistent missions. All variants share a common resilience architecture for operations in contested electromagnetic environments.

Avionics and resilience

Communications employ dual-band operation with frequency-hopping spread spectrum and AES-256 encryption to maintain link integrity under jamming. Navigation incorporates visual-inertial navigation for GNSS-denied environments, supplemented by controlled reception pattern antennas to suppress directional interference. Onboard real-time processing enables autonomous decision-making and mission continuity when communications degrade.

Payload

The Zolt supports a range of electro-optical (EO), infrared (IR), and mid-wave infrared (MWIR) sensor configurations through the NAKSH family of ISR payloads, including 30× optical zoom EO sensors, 4× IR digital zoom, and laser rangefinders with ranges up to 15 km. The platform can also carry signals intelligence (SIGINT), communications intelligence (COMINT), laser designator, and tactical resupply payloads. The Zolt UCAV is configured to carry smart guided munitions in the 2–25 kg class for precision strike.

Operational history

The Zolt is in service with the Indian Army. Deliveries under the November 2025 contract commenced during 2025, though the specific variants supplied under the initial order have not been publicly identified. The platform is intended for missions including border and frontier surveillance, tactical reconnaissance across mountainous and high-altitude terrain, battlefield intelligence support including direction of own artillery fire, target tracking, and ISTAR operations. The Zolt is also configured for critical infrastructure security, maritime surveillance, and disaster response.

Variants

Zolt – Battery-powered VTOL ISR UAV for tactical reconnaissance, border surveillance, and battlefield intelligence. In service with the Indian Army.
Zolt UCAV – Battery-powered variant configured for unmanned combat aerial vehicle missions, carrying smart guided munitions for precision strike. Launched October 2026.
Zolt Hybrid – Hybrid propulsion (internal combustion engine and battery) variant for persistent ISR with extended endurance and range. Launched October 2026.
Zolt Hybrid HA – Planned high-altitude variant of the Zolt Hybrid, expected to support take-offs at altitudes up to 4,000 m AMSL.

Operators

India – Indian Army; Zolt in service under a contract awarded November 2025. Additional variants under procurement.

Specifications (Zolt)

General characteristics

Configuration: VTOL multi-role tactical UAV
Propulsion: Battery (electric)
Payload capacity: 10 kg
Maximum operating altitude: 2,000–3,500 m AMSL (manufacturer web materials cite 2,000 m for the electric configuration; contract specifications cite 3,500 m)