Nagpur-based Solar Industries delivered the first batch of Nagastra-1, an indigenous loitering munition to the Indian Army. This marks as a significant milestone towards the journey of 'atmanirbharta' or self-reliance.
The Army has commissioned Economics Explosives Ltd (EEL), a subsidiary owned by the Solar Industries, to deliver 480 loiter munitions as part of a supply order.
Key Features Of Nagastra-1:
- Precision Strike: The Nagastra-1 excels in "kamikaze mode" by neutralising hostile threats with GPS-enabled precision strikes, boasting an accuracy of up to two metres.
- High Altitude Operation: Nagastra-1 can fly at altitudes over 4,500 meters, which makes it difficult to detect by radar.
- Man-Portable and Lightweight: Weighing 9 kg, this man-portable fixed-wing electric UAV has an endurance of 30 minutes.
- Range and Control Modes: It offers a 15 km range with man-in-loop control and extends up to 30 km in autonomous mode.
- Undetectable In Lower Altitude: Due to its electric propulsion system, Nagastra-1 provides a low acoustic signature, making it almost undetectable at altitudes over 200 metres.
- Surveillance Capabilities: The UAV is equipped with day and night surveillance cameras and carries a 1 kg high-explosive fragmenting warhead to neutralise soft-skin targets.
- Recovery System: Its unique features like abort, recover and reuse, facilitated by a parachute recovery mechanism, set it apart from similar systems globally.
According to an India Today report, the Nagastra-1 was designed with over 75 per cent indigenous content in collaboration with Z-Motion Autonomous Systems Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru. It is a man-portable system with an all-up weight of 30 kg split across two rucksacks, including a ground control station, communication control, payload and pneumatic launcher.
