Solar Defence 450 Nagastra-1R Drones: Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL), which is part of Solar Industries India, has delivered 450 Nagastra-1R loitering munitions to the Indian Army. The company completed the delivery on October 14. It’s the largest number of these weapons supplied to the Army in a single batch by a manufacturer.
The ₹158-crore deal was signed in June 2025 under the Army’s emergency procurement process. Four companies took part in the technical checks and live trials before the order was finalised. According to SDAL, it was the only company that met all the required conditions during the trials.
The new delivery will help the Army improve its ability to carry out accurate attacks over short distances
HAL Delivers 2,000th Aero-Engine As Shakti Production Gets Major Boost
Nagastra-1R
The Nagastra-1R can search for targets while flying and attack when needed. It’s also known as a kamikaze drone because it can stay in the air before hitting its target.
The drone is designed for short-range missions and can reach targets up to 5 km away. It carries a 1 kg warhead which can be used against enemy personnel and lightly protected vehicles. It can also return if an attack is cancelled or the target can’t be confirmed. This allows the Army to recover the drone instead of losing it every time a mission is called off.
The system has cameras for day and night surveillance along with GPS navigation to help it find targets. Its reported accuracy is around 2 metres. SDAL says more than 80% of the system uses Indian-made components, helping the country produce more of its own defence equipment.
₹158 Crore Contract
The Indian Army placed the order in June 2025 after evaluating different systems through technical trials and live firing tests. Four companies participated in the competition, but SDAL said its system was the only one to meet all the required performance conditions.
DRDO Successfully Tests Indigenous HAPS At 21 Km Altitude
The contract was placed under emergency procurement, which allows the armed forces to acquire equipment needed for urgent operational requirements. The order followed an earlier contract for 480 Nagastra-1 loitering munitions, which were delivered to the Army in 2024.
The latest delivery brings another batch of locally developed precision-strike weapons into the Army’s inventory. However, the company hasn’t disclosed when or where all 450 Nagastra-1R systems will be deployed.
