Solar Industries India Ltd. has reached a remarkable milestone by securing two significant export contracts, strengthening its standing as a prominent player in the global defense sector. Along with its subsidiary, Economic Explosives (EEL), the company has won export deals valued at ₹2,039 crore, reflecting the growing demand for Indian-made defense products. These contracts, involving the supply of defense equipment to international clients, are set to be executed over the next four years.
A cutting-edge composite manufacturing facility was inaugurated on January 11 at Economic Explosives Ltd (EEL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries, in Nagpur to bolster India’s capabilities in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), loitering munitions, and counter-drone systems.
The company has not revealed the names of its international clients.
The company is gearing up to deliver its first indigenously developed loitering munition, Nagastra-1, to the Indian Army. This advanced system, set to be integrated into the Army’s infantry, represents a major milestone in India’s pursuit of self-reliance in defense technologies.
Under an emergency procurement order, the Indian Army received 480 loitering munitions, with Economic Explosives Ltd. (EEL) handling the production. This delivery significantly enhanced the Army’s strike capabilities while showcasing India’s growing strength in indigenous defense manufacturing.
The development of these loitering munitions by Solar Industries has undergone extensive real-world testing. Recently, three variants—Hexacopter, LM1, and LM0—successfully completed trials in the challenging terrain of Ladakh’s Nubra Valley. The trials confirmed the LM1 and LM0’s full endurance of 60 minutes in flight, while the Hexacopter, a groundbreaking design, achieved a flight ceiling of 4,500 meters. This accomplishment marks a global first for man-portable loitering munitions equipped with a 4 kg warhead.
Key Features of Nagastra-1 ‘Suicide Drone’
The Nagastra-1 is a UAV-based loitering munition designed as an aerial ambush system. Its primary role is to hover above targets and execute precision strikes with GPS-enabled accuracy, achieving an impressive precision of 2 meters.
- Precision Strike Capability: In “Kamikaze mode,” the Nagastra-1 can neutralize hostile threats by directly striking the target and self-destructing in the process.
- High Altitude Operation: It can operate at altitudes exceeding 4,500 meters, making it difficult to detect via radar.
- Surveillance Equipment: Equipped with day-night surveillance cameras, it can effectively identify targets and deploy a warhead capable of neutralizing soft-skin targets.
- Endurance and Range: The fixed-wing electric UAV has a flight duration of 60 minutes, with a man-in-loop control range of 15 kilometers and an autonomous mode range of 30 kilometers.
- Recovery Mechanism: The Nagastra-1 includes an abort, recover, and reuse feature. If a mission is aborted or the target is not located, the drone can be called back and safely landed using a parachute system, offering a significant edge over similar systems developed by advanced nations.