The Indian Army has reportedly secured a patent for a "Hexacopter Tactical Remotely Piloted Aircraft for Surveillance at High Altitude Areas (HAA), according to an official statement on Friday.

The Army Design Group designed the drone, which will be used for surveillance, reconnaissance, and detection tasks.

The drone can track movement with live video feed, and can launch from at least 5,500 meters above mean sea level and achieve a minimum of 500 meters above ground level. The drone should be able to withstand 500 landings, with the standard version lasting at least 1,000 landings.

Further the Army statement added that this now-patented innovation will be used by the army to carry out Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Detection tasks in High Altitude Areas (HAA) and thus will make it easier for Field commanders to know what's happening in real-time.

Drones have many military applications in India, including:

Surveillance and reconnaissance
Border security
Search and rescue missions
Target acquisition
Battlefield monitoring