In a significant boost to India’s indigenous manufacturing of drones, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), loitering munitions, and counter-drone systems, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated a state-of-the-art composite manufacturing facility at Economics Explosives Ltd (EEL), Solar Industries, Nagpur on Saturday.
As drone and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) technologies continue to evolve, they are expected to play a critical role in both civil and military applications. Several Indian industries and startups have entered the drone technology sector, with a focus on surveillance and logistics.
However, combat applications involving drones and UAVs require specialized expertise and infrastructure, which many industries in India currently lack. Solar Industries has taken the lead in advancing the weaponization of drones, including developing variants of Loitering Munitions (LM), Counter-Drone Systems, and Drone-based Mine Detection and Disposal Systems.
Building on these innovations, Solar has recently embarked on the development of a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) class UAV with both surveillance and attack capabilities.
In a major step toward achieving self-reliance in ammunition and defense systems, Solar Industries has successfully developed the first indigenous Loiter Munition, the ‘Nagastra-1,’ which has now been inducted into the Infantry of the Indian Army. Under a contract with the Indian Army, EEL, a subsidiary of Solar Group, has manufactured and supplied 480 Loiter Munitions as part of an Emergency Purchase.
The Nagastra-1, in its “kamikaze mode,” is capable of neutralizing hostile targets with GPS-enabled precision strikes, achieving an accuracy of 2 meters. In cases where a target is not detected, or if the mission is aborted, the loiter munition can be called back and safely land with a parachute recovery system, making it reusable.
The abort, recovery, and reuse capabilities of the Nagastra-1 Loiter Munition make it superior to similar systems developed by advanced nations. Following the successful development and delivery of Nagastra-1, work on advanced variants, Nagastra-2 and Nagastra-3, which feature enhanced performance and greater warhead capacity, is well underway as part of the Make-2 projects.
Drone technology has become a force multiplier in military operations, as demonstrated in recent global conflicts, including in Armenia-Azerbaijan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza conflicts. In India, there has been a noticeable increase in drone-related incidents along the northern borders in recent years.
Satyanarayan Nuwal envisions making Nagpur a hub for the development and manufacturing of weaponized drones and supporting technologies.
The newly established manufacturing facilities at EEL, Nagpur are capable of producing up to 1,000 Loiter Munitions annually. These facilities also support performance testing and environmental qualification of the in-house developed Loiter Munition. Additionally, a cutting-edge 1.25 km long and 40-meter wide runway for testing MALE class UAVs is nearing completion.
Solar Industries has committed an investment of INR 10,000 crore over the next decade to enhance its defense capabilities. These developments are expected to significantly strengthen India’s indigenous drone and UAV capabilities as part of its defense strategy.
For detailed information and further insights, please refer to BioEnergyTimes.com, which provides the latest news about the Green Hydrogen Industry
