Indian Army orders 'Made-in-India' Nagastra-1 attack drones. 5 things to know
1 min read 22 Apr 2023, 12:18 PM ISTAccording to the statement, the Nagastra-1 loiter munition has advanced features such as abort, recover, and reuse capabilities, which make it superior to similar systems developed by more technologically advanced countries.
PremiumThe Indian Army has achieved a significant accomplishment in the field of defence under the 'Make-in-India' initiative by signing a contract to purchase more than 450 completely indigenous Nagastra-1 loitering munitions.
Solar Industries Nagpur on Friday announced that they have secured a contract to provide the Indian Army with the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called 'Nagastra', surpassing competitors from Israel and Poland, ANI reported.
About indigenous Nagastra-1
Under the emergency procurement provisions, the Indian Army has signed the contract for the acquisition of Nagastra-1 loitering munitions, which must be delivered within one year. These emergency procurement deals can have a maximum value of ₹300 crores.
According to the statement, the Nagastra-1 loiter munition has advanced features such as abort, recover, and reuse capabilities, which make it superior to similar systems developed by more technologically advanced countries.
An official from Solar Industries stated that the Indian government's push for self-reliance in ammunition and defence systems has led to the creation of the first domestic Loiter Munition (LM) called Nagastra-1. This LM was developed by the company's 100% subsidiary, Economic Explosives Ltd (EEL), in collaboration with Z-Motion from Bangalore, reported PTI.
EEL officials noted that the tender for the drones was issued by the Indian Army a few months back and EEL emerged as the winner in the competition after trials and other due procedures.
Recently, a prototype of the Nagastra-1 loitering munition was showcased at the Army Commanders conference held in New Delhi.
The use of drone technology has demonstrated its effectiveness as a force multiplier in military operations. This has been demonstrated in several recent conflicts worldwide, including conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in Syria, in the strike on oilfields in Saudi Arabia, and in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“Solar Industries have taken initiatives to develop a wide array of weaponised drones to neutralise various targets using gravity drop bombs, guided missiles or using them in a Kamikaze mode. This will go a long way to boost the indigenous capability of using drones/ UAVs as war machinery," a company official said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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