Tech Desk: India has achieved a significant defence milestone with IG Defence’s successful testing of the ‘KAL’ kamikaze drone at the Pokhran Field Firing Range. This indigenous one-way attack drone, boasting an impressive 1,000-kilometre strike range, marks a crucial step in India’s quest for long-range unmanned combat systems, directly addressing the global demand for such strategic assets. The successful trial signals a major advancement in India’s capabilities, positioning it as a formidable player in modern aerial warfare.

The ‘KAL’ drone emerges as India’s strategic answer to systems like the Iranian Shahed-136, whose effectiveness in recent conflicts has underscored the need for inexpensive, high-volume precision-strike options. Weighing 200 kg with a potent 50 kg high-explosive warhead, it can fly for an extended seven to eight hours at speeds up to 200 km/h and altitudes of 5,000 metres. Its secure navigation system, combining jam-resistant multi-band satellite guidance (GNSS) with an inertial navigation system (INS), ensures autonomous operation and accurate targeting against high-value enemy assets.

Engineered for critical strikes, the ‘KAL’ is designed to destroy targets such as radar installations, air-defence batteries, and vital infrastructure. It integrates seamlessly with IG Defence’s AI-powered ‘GRID STRIKE’ Battle Management System, allowing commanders to coordinate unmanned weapons and process real-time combat intelligence. This advanced integration significantly enhances its battlefield effectiveness and strategic utility.

IG Defence CEO Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya highlighted the Pokhran trials as vital for India’s self-reliance in advanced defence technology, emphasizing that ‘KAL’ represents sovereign Indian capability, engineered for scalable domestic mass production. With significant export potential, this successful validation at Pokhran solidifies India’s progress in modernizing its precision-strike capabilities for the battlefields of the future.