450 loitering munitions ordered to help boost army’s capabilities
The ₹158-crore order for the Nagastra-1R loitering munitions is a follow-on contract to the 480 Nagastra-1 drones ordered for the army last year
The ministry of defence has ordered 450 locally produced loitering munitions, or kamikaze drones, from a Nagpur-based defence firm, Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd, to boost the army’s precision targeting capabilities, weeks after Indian forces deployed these weapons to hit targets in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, people aware of the matter said on Monday.
The ₹158-crore order for the Nagastra-1R loitering munitions is a follow-on contract to the 480 Nagastra-1 drones ordered for the army last year through the emergency procurement route, the people said, asking not to be named. The firm, a subsidiary of Solar Industries and earlier known as Economic Explosives Limited (EEL), will execute the new order in one year to meet the army’s urgent needs.
Such munitions hover over the battle zone, locate the target and crash into it.
The Nagastra-1R is equipped with a 360-degree gimbal camera, with the option of using a thermal one for night operations, has a proprietary encryption for video and telemetry communication, and its launcher system is reusable, HT learnt. It has an indigenous content of around 80%.
Loitering munitions --- including Nagastra-1, and Harop bought from Israel --- were deployed during Operation Sindoor. Nagastra-1 carries a one-kg warhead, has a maximum range of 30 km, and an endurance of 60 minutes. The exact specifications of the newer variant Nagastra-1R weren’t immediately available.
Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd has expanded its footprint in the country’s defence manufacturing sector in recent years. In February, the defence ministry signed two contracts worth ₹10,147-crore to buy ammunition for the army’s indigenous Pinaka multi-launcher rocket system — one of them was with Solar and the other with Pune-based Munitions India Limited.
The Nagpur-based firm (then called EEL) has also supplied one million hand grenades to the army under a 2020 contract worth ₹409 crore. These replaced a World War-II vintage hand grenade design that was being used by the army.
India launched the operation in the early hours of May 7 and struck terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were shot dead. It triggered a four-day military confrontation with Pakistan involving fighter jets, missiles, drones, long-range weapons and heavy artillery before the two sides reached an understanding on stopping all military action on May 10.
Days after the ceasefire, the government granted powers to the armed forces to make emergency purchases worth around ₹40,000 crore.
On June 21, defence minister Rajnath Singh said India paused Operation Sindoor after Pakistan asked for a ceasefire. “Operation Sindoor is not over yet. India is fully prepared to take all kinds of action against terrorism,” he said at the time, addressing troops in Udhampur.
Private sector drone maker ideaForge Technology on Monday said it has secured an order worth ₹137 crore --- through the emergency procurement route --- for supplying mini UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) systems to the army, adding that these are battle-tested and inducted into the army’s inventory for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) operations.
“The platform has also been battle-tested during the recent Operation Sindoor, where it played a critical role in providing ISR to the armed forces. Its performance in live operations validated both its technological robustness and mission-critical value,” the company said in a statement.
This emergency procurement for counter-insurgency and counter-terror operations will help safeguard national security, and “reaffirms our commitment to building world-class, reliable UAVs in India”, ideaForge Technology CEO Ankit Mehta said.
“It is a matter of pride that our platforms are not just made in India, but are also built to serve and protect India under the most demanding conditions, backed by a resilient and trusted supply chain,” he said.
The execution timeline for this order is also set at 12 months, aligning with the army’s immediate operational requirements.
On June 19, the defence ministry said it has set up a high-powered committee, headed by the director general (acquisition), to steer a comprehensive review of the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 for speedy modernisation of the armed forces and boosting self-reliance in the critical sector.
The aim of the review, the ministry said, is to meet the operational requirements and modernisation needs of the armed forces in a timely manner to ensure national security and achieve self-reliance goals by promoting technology infusion through indigenously designed and developed systems.
