India’s KAL drone completes long-range strike test in Pokhran

New Delhi, September 21: In a significant development for India’s indigenous defence capabilities, Noida-based IG Defence has successfully completed trials of its long-range attack drone, ‘KAL’, at the Pokhran range in Rajasthan.

The indigenous loitering munition is designed to fly up to around 1,000km and carry out precision strikes against high-value targets, potentially strengthening the Indian armed forces’ unmanned warfare capabilities.

According to the company, KAL can remain airborne for around seven to eight hours and operate at an altitude of up to 5,000 metres. The drone can carry a payload of up to 50kg and has been designed to engage targets such as radar installations, command centres, air-defence systems and other critical infrastructure.

The platform combines a multi-band Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) with an inertial navigation system (INS), enabling autonomous navigation and operation.

The successful Pokhran trial comes amid growing global use of loitering munitions and long-range unmanned systems in modern conflicts. The Russia-Ukraine war, in particular, has highlighted the increasing role of such drones in precision strikes and battlefield operations.

The KAL system is being positioned as an indigenous option for long-range unmanned strike missions. Its reported range and endurance could allow the armed forces to target locations deep inside hostile territory without directly putting pilots at risk.

The system could have potential applications in difficult terrain, including mountainous and desert regions along India’s borders, where unmanned platforms can be used for surveillance and precision strike missions.

The successful trial marks another step in India’s efforts to expand domestic defence manufacturing and develop long-range unmanned combat systems.