Overview

• Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited conducted the Rudrastra UAV trial at Pokharan Firing Range on June 11, meeting Indian Army performance parameters for VTOL, endurance and mission flexibility.
• Rudrastra sustained a stable real-time video link over a mission radius exceeding 50 km, achieved a total range above 170 km, and maintained approximately 1.5 hours of endurance.
• The UAV’s precision-guided anti-personnel warhead delivered a low-height airburst detonation from medium altitude, meeting tactical strike benchmarks.
• In mid-May tests at Odisha’s Seaward Firing Range, SDAL’s Bhargavastra counter-drone system neutralized hostile drone swarms with micro-rocket firings in hard-kill mode.
• Both trials advance India’s self-reliant defence production goals by adding homegrown aerial reconnaissance and counter-drone capabilities to the armed forces’ toolkit.