The Indian Navy has received the Drishti 10, its first indigenous medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone, at an unveiling ceremony at the Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad.
The Drishti 10 is a NATO STANAG 4671-certified intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform, allowing it to operate in both segregated and unsegregated airspace.
It has a flight endurance of 36 hours and can handle up to 450 kilograms (990 pounds) of payload.
The all-weather drone is set to be transferred from Hyderabad to Porbandar, where it will be integrated into the navy’s future operations.
India’s push for more self-reliant military tech production comes amidst Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s Make in India initiative to promote local entrepreneurship across the country’s industries.
India’s New Drone Age
Aside from developing the Drishti 10 and other locally-made drones, New Delhi also recently purchased unmanned aerial vehicles from other countries.
The Indian military procured six Hermes 9000 drones from Israel in November 2023 to boost its surveillance along its disputed border with China.
The country also signed a $3-billion deal with the US for the production of 15 MQ-9B SeaGuardians and 16 MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones, despite initial fears of cancellation due to the cost.