Solar Defence hands Army 450 Nagastra-1R loitering munitions in its largest single delivery

Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) has handed over the largest consignment of suicide drones, or loitering munitions, to the Indian Army so far. The delivery has been described as a landmark achievement for the Indian defence industry and the Make in India initiative.

The company handed over 450 Nagastra-1R drones to the Army in one go. It is the largest single delivery made to the Army by any Indian manufacturer, and has been presented as a major success for domestic defence production.

Solar Group chairman Padma Shri Satyanarayan Nuwal was present on the occasion. He was accompanied by executive director Rear Admiral Brijesh Vashisht (retd) and R&D director Manjeet Singh.

Tensions are rising between Iran, the United States and Israel. Against this backdrop, it has been stated that the indigenous system will prove cost-effective for the Indian Army. Despite being made in India, there has been no compromise on its accuracy or quality. It has also been stated that the system will play a decisive role in reducing India's dependence on foreign systems.

On the features of the Nagastra-1R: it is a man-portable system, meaning soldiers can carry it with them easily. It can strike targets up to 5 km away and is fitted with high-quality cameras for day and night surveillance.

It carries a 1 kg explosive warhead that can destroy enemy positions with precision. Equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) guided navigation, the drone has a circular error probable of only 2 metres, so it strikes very close to the target.

In kamikaze attack mode, it can crash directly into an enemy position or vehicle and destroy it. If a mission is cancelled or the target has to be changed, it can be stopped in mid-air, safely recalled and reused. This is its abort and recovery facility.