The Indian Army has received 480 loitering munitions made by a defence company based in Nagpur. These munitions, called Nagastra-1, were created by Solar Industries under emergency procurement rules. Also Read : Current Affairs — SSB Interview Material — English Study Material — AFCAT CDS NDA NCERT Notes
The Nagastra-1 is mostly made in India, with over 75% local components. It is lightweight, easy to carry, and designed for accurate strikes by soldiers.
Solar Industries is also working on advanced versions, named Nagastra-2 and Nagastra-3, which will have better performance and the ability to carry different types of warheads.
The company has also proposed designing and developing drones that can fly at medium altitudes for long durations.
The Indian Army plans to buy 97 MALE drones to improve its surveillance capabilities. MALE stands for Medium Altitude Long Endurance, and is a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
