New Delhi: With increasing use of drones for military purposes, Nagpur based Solar Industries will be the first Indian company to fully indigenize drones and loitering munitions system that will be 40 per cent cheaper and ready for production within the set timeline for February 2022.
It recently gave a demonstration of prototype of weaponised drones before Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on his brief visit to Nagpur which appears to have impressed him and has given the go ahead for speedy facilitation of trials.
The loitering munitions equipment has been developed by the Solar Group of Companies, which includes Solar Industries India Ltd and Economic Explosives Ltd located at Nagpur. The group, a global leader in packaged explosives and accessories, took up the challenge to enter the field of drones and loitering munitions in order to keep pace with advancements in defence technologies and adopt force multipliers to counter enemy threats, official sources said.
It is developing an array of drones for ammunition delivery to bring a new capability to the Indian armed forces. These drones can be used in both offensive and defensive roles. In offensive role, these drones will drop specially designed warheads and return. They can be used to target enemy troops, bunkers, vehicles and tanks.
The company is working in mission mode with an aim to start production in January next year. A loitering munition (also known as a suicide drone or kamikaze drone) is a weapon system category in which the munition loiters around the target area for some time, searches for targets, and attacks once a target is located.
Loitering munitions enable faster reaction times against concealed or hidden targets that emerge for short periods without risking high-value platforms like aircraft close to the target area, and also allow more selective targeting.
India has been dependent on this specialised munition through the import route. This indigenous manufacture of drones and loitering munitions is in keeping with the government’s focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat and “Make in India” in defence. It will not only score above the imported munition in technical features and specifications but will also be almost 40 per cent cheaper.
The indigenous loitering munition will undergo ‘high altitude’ trials in December. The first indigenously developed loitering munitions – short-range drones that can take down targets with a ‘suicide attack’- have been successfully demonstrated.
The loitering munitions-variants of which can engage targets at a range of 15, 25 and 100 km-will be up to 40% cheaper than those from global competitors, according to the manufacturer, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to curb import of arms. Foreign manufacturers had sold a small inventory of the systems to the Indian armed forces as part of an emergency procurement plan.
The manufacturer EEL has specifically told the defence ministry that its munitions-named LM0, LM1 and LM2-will be at least 40% cheaper than those offered by Israel and Poland.
