Stories
Indian Army Boosts Strike Power With 450 Indigenous Nagastra-1R Kamikaze Drones
- •The Indian Army has inducted 450 indigenous Nagastra-1R loitering munitions manufactured by Nagpur-based Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited.
- •The emergency procurement worth 158 crores is the largest single-batch supply of kamikaze drones to the army to date.
- •Nagastra-1R features a 30 km strike range, can carry a 1 kg warhead with 2-meter accuracy, and can fly continuously for 60 minutes.
- •Equipped with a 360-degree gimbal camera and thermal vision, it also includes an abort and recovery option using parachute technology for reuse.
Key Questions Answered
The Nagastra-1R has a strike range of up to 30 kilometers, carries a 1 kg warhead with 2-meter strike accuracy, and can fly continuously for 60 minutes. It also features a 360-degree gimbal camera, thermal imaging for night operations, and a parachute recovery option if a mission is aborted.
The Nagastra-1R kamikaze drones are manufactured by Nagpur-based Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL). They won the emergency procurement contract valued at approximately 158 crores after extensive live trials where they alone met the army's stringent operational standards.
Amidst global military conflicts and supply chain disruptions, India's preference for cost-effective, indigenous systems like the Nagastra-1R reduces reliance on foreign defense tech. This reflects the Ministry of Defense and armed forces' resolve to rely on domestic manufacturers during emergencies.
