‘Silent killers’: Indian Army gets indigenous man-portable suicide drones for precision strikes along Pakistan, China borders

Indian Army gets new suicide drones! In a boost for India’s defence preparedness, the Indian Army has received its first batch of indigenously developed man-portable suicide drones, known as Nagastra 1 loitering munition. These new drones are designed to carry out precision strikes on enemy training camps, launch pads, and infiltrators, without putting the lives of soldiers at risk.

Designed to be carried by infantry troops on foot, these silent killers have a low acoustic signature and electric propulsion. According to an ET report by Manu Pubby, these drones are a cost-effective solution for targeting relatively lower-end threats, such as groups of infiltrating terrorists on the border. The drones also feature a parachute recovery mechanism, allowing them to be retrieved and reused in case of an aborted mission.

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Similar systems have been extensively used in recent conflicts, particularly in the Ukraine-Russia war and the Armenia-Azerbaijan skirmishes. The Indian armed forces had previously acquired similar systems from foreign vendors at a significantly higher cost. The Nagastra 1 has an indigenous content of over 75%, reducing dependence on foreign sources.

The army procured the drones using its emergency procurement powers, and they were delivered within a year to meet urgent requirements on both the Pakistan and China borders. The drones are capable of operating from high altitude areas at extreme temperatures.

Developed entirely in India by Economic Explosives Limited (EEL), the Nagastra 1 drones can perform GPS-enabled precision strikes with an accuracy of 2 meters and have a range of nearly 30 km.

Given the scale of production and the resulting cost reduction, there is a strong potential for exporting the munition to friendly foreign nations seeking similar solutions.

The Indian armed forces have been investing in standoff weapons over the past two years, with a focus on procuring all such systems from the domestic industry and avoiding imports.

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