When tech billionaire Elon Musk says that future wars will be won by nations with the most effective drones, he is not bluffing at all.
The Indian Army has received the first batch of 'suicide drones' called ‘Nagastra-1’ which can strike enemy training camps and launch pads in border areas with precision and save soldiers’ lives.
According to reports, these high-tech drones are made in India by Economic Explosives Limited (EEL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries in Nagpur.
The Army placed an order of 480 such drones and at least 120 of them have reportedly been delivered.
What are these 'suicide drones'?
‘Nagastra-1’ is a type of “loitering munition”, where the aerial weapon is designed with an in-built warhead, designed to loiter around an area until a target is located and then crash into it.
These indigenously developed drones offer more selective targeting as the attack can be changed mid-flight or even aborted.
In a ‘kamikaze mode’, the drone can neutralise any threat with a GPS-enabled precision strike with an accuracy of 2 metres.
Weighing around 9 kg, the fixed-wing electric unmanned Ariel vehicle (UAV) has an endurance of 30 minutes, a man-in-loop range of 15 km and an autonomous mode range of 30 km.
It can apparently carry a 1 kg warhead up to a range of 15 km and an upgraded version can carry a 2.2 kg warhead up to 30 km distance.
In case a target is not detected or if the mission is aborted, the suicide drones can be called back and make a soft landing with a parachute recovery mechanism, enabling them to be reused multiple times.
Drone-based wars are now frequent worldwide.
Earlier this month, Ukraine attacked Russian targets with a total of 25 combat drones, with one drone said to have reached deep into the Russian Caucasus.
Yemen's Houthi group also claimed fresh attacks on the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower, another US warship and four commercial cargo vessels in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea via drones earlier this month.
Since November last year, the Houthi group has launched anti-ship ballistic missiles and drones targeting what they said were Israeli-linked ships transiting the Red Sea to show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden last year announced a slew of defence and technology deals, including armed SeaGuardian drones.
The two leaders welcomed India's plans to buy General Atomics's armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian UAVs, which will be assembled in India.
The drones will enhance the ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) capabilities of India's Armed Forces across domains.
Fall of Congress in Gujarat: Three decades of decline and struggle for relevance
The Congress party was once the dominant political force in Gujarat, shaping the state’s governance since independence. However, over the past 30 years, the party has witnessed a dramatic downfall, losing ground to the BJP’s aggressive electoral strategies, organisational strength, and ideological appeal.
‘Disempowering Muslims’: J&K political parties oppose Waqf (Amendment) Bill
All political parties of J&K, except the BJP, opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, saying that the Bill is intended to disempower Muslims and only target one religion.
Radical group founder wanted in Jaipur serial blast plot apprehended in Ratlam
The Madhya Pradesh Police in Ratlam achieved a significant breakthrough in apprehending Firoz, also known as Sabji, a fugitive implicated in a conspiracy to execute serial blasts aimed at creating panic and terrorising the Rajasthan capital city of Jaipur.
Amit Shah & Akhilesh Yadav’s lighter exchange in LS over party president
Amid the uproar and heated debate between the ruling party and the Opposition over the Waqf Amendment Bill on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha witnessed some lighter moments between Home Minister Amit Shah and SP President Akhilesh Yadav.
Waqf Bill weakens Constitution, defames minorities, divides society: Gaurav Gogoi
As Parliament debated the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, on Wednesday, deputy leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi came down heavily on the government.
Bill not linked to religion, it’s prospective and not retrospective: Kiren Rijiju flays naysayers
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday tore into the Opposition for ‘spreading falsehood’ over the Waqf Amendment Bill and urged the ‘doubters and naysayers’ to refrain from misleading the people on the proposed reforms.
Parliament was being claimed as Waqf property: Rijiju slams UPA for making provisions 'overriding' other laws
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday bashed the previous UPA government for de-notifying 123 properties and handing them over to the Delhi Waqf Board.
Bhopal’s Muslims burst firecrackers in support of Waqf (Amendment) Bill
A large number of Muslims in Madhya Pradesh's capital, Bhopal, burst firecrackers on Wednesday to express their support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which was presented in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day.