After Op Sindoor success, Nagpur’s Solar bags Army orders for night-op ‘killer drones’

Nagpur: After Nagastra 1 — the loitering munition that was used during Operation Sindoor — Nagpur's Solar Aerospace and Defence Limited (SADL) has bagged an order for the advanced version of the system, Nagastra-1R, that's capable of night operations too.The company signed an agreement to supply 450 Nagastra-1R to the Army within one year. This new system is equipped with a thermal camera for night operations apart from a 360 degree gimbal camera. The system has proprietary encryption for video and telemetry communication along with a high-precision targeting system. More than 80% of its components are indigenous, said a note shared with TOI.The system was tested at different locations, including Ladakh for cold weather trials, and Babina near Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh. Loitering munitions are drone-based systems. The drones carry the bombs as payloads, which are dropped after zeroing in on the target. As it hovers around until the target is fixed, it gets the name loitering munitions.The Nagastra-1R also has full re-usability of the launcher systems, said sources. SADL is also developing the Nagastra 2 and Nagastra 3 versions, which have a higher range and can carry a heavier payload. The trials for the two versions are due soon, said sources involved in the project.The order to SADL for the Nagastra 1R loitering munitions comes after it successfully conducted trials for its hybrid vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) — Rudrastra — over a week ago. Rudrastra can penetrate deeper into enemy territory and return to the launch point. It has a range of up to 50km and can take a payload of 8kg, with an estimated endurance time of 1.5 hours. The trials were held at Pokhran range.SADL, which is predominantly into making military-grade ammunition, has over the years developed drone-based munition systems. Last month, it also tested its anti-drone system, Bhargavastra, which can attack a swarm of drones with a salvo of 64 mini rockets. Both guided and non-guided versions of the system have been tested.In March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated an airstrip at SADL's manufacturing facility. The 1,250-metre-long airstrip will cater to its project of building a medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV.