Order for 87 MALE drones will be split between 2 Indian firms in 64:36 ratio to ensure there are 2 independent manufacturing lines with at least 60% indigenous components.
What has given entrepreneurs and engineers the impetus is the collective realisation that India cannot be solely dependent on other countries for drone technology.
In the test flight, carried out in the last week of June, Kalam Labs launched the highest UAV flight (with a wingspan of under two metres) to ever be carried out in India.
The Baltic nation has built a robust digital ecosystem, which in turn has strengthened its cybersecurity infra. It has also significantly increased investment in its defence sector.
In a report, UK-based media outlet Middle East Eye states that Shaheen combat drones provided rebels the strategic edge in coordinated assaults on government targets.
HAPS are high-altitude, solar-powered UAVs operating in stratosphere about 20 km above ground level, while SAR is technique for producing fine-resolution images.
80-page document, originally in Gondi, details strategies to counter aerial strikes through diagrams & images. In last 2 yrs, security forces have denied aerial bombing Bastar.
While the Navy will get 15 MQ9B drones in maritime and anti-submarine warfare kits, the Army and the Indian Air Force will get 8 each of the land version.
Production houses and big studios are already fast-tracking projects pitched by pro-Hindutva players. Choking those who choose to remain outside these charmed circles is not a big deal.
The countries signed a memorandum for co-development of UNICORN masts in November 2024. India has been second Asian nation to have such an agreement with Tokyo, after Philippines.
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