Indian Army receives first indigenously made kamikaze drone – Media

The Indian Army has received its first batch of indigenously manufactured manned, portable suicide drones, the Economic Times reported on Friday, citing sources.

Acquiring such systems will improve the Army's precision strike capabilities against enemy training camps and infiltrators while reducing dependency on imports, the paper said. 

The Nagastra-1 loitering weapon (also known as a suicide drone) is being supplied by Economic Explosives Limited, part of the Solar Group, which manufactures industrial explosives. It can operate from high altitudes in extreme temperatures and perform GPS-assisted precision strikes with an accuracy of two meters and a range of about 30 km.

Designed for use by infantry, the drone features a low acoustic signature and electric propulsion, making it effective against a range of targets, including: B. terrorist groups breaching borders, the report said.

The Nagastra-1 consists of more than 75% indigenous weapons, reducing dependency on foreign resources. In the wake of security incidents on the border with Pakistan and China, the Indian military has stepped up efforts to improve its defense capabilities. Recently, the focus has been on procuring such systems entirely through indigenous production and avoiding imports. India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who began his second term in office earlier this week, has pledged to strengthen security through self-reliance in defense production while expanding arms exports. The minister also announced regular reviews to track progress towards these goals.

The Economic Times noted that given the scale of domestic production and the resulting cost savings, there is every reason to export military drones to countries seeking similar solutions.

Until now, India has had to rely on imports of military drones. According to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) arms transfer database, New Delhi is the third-largest arms importer after the UK and France. The US, Israel and China are the world's largest suppliers of military drones.

Earlier this month, another Indian company, Cadet Defence Systems, achieved a milestone by successfully developing a suicide drone under a program with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the government agency responsible for developing and manufacturing weapons. More than 50 of these systems have been ordered by India, with deliveries due by the end of 2024, the company said.