Indian Navy Acquires First MALE Drone

Drone Introduction: Indian Navy receives first Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drone, ‘Drishti 10 StarLiner’.

Manufacture: Made by Adani Defence and Aerospace with Israeli Elbit, in Hyderabad.

Drone Features: 36-hour endurance, 450 kg payload, satellite connectivity.

Deployment: To be used in naval maritime operations from Porbandar.

Procurement Mechanism: Acquired under emergency procurement, bypassing bureaucratic procedures.

Indigenous Content: 70% indigenous, aiming for higher localization.

Future Plans: Military eyeing around 150 MALE drones.

Drone Capabilities: Advanced communication, automatic take-off and landing, all-weather operation.

Operational Flexibility: Can operate from various naval air stations across India.

Current Navy Drones: Tactical drones and ‘Sea Guardians’ in use.

Army’s Drone Acquisitions: Already procured Israeli Heron Mark-II drones, plans to upgrade Heron Mark-I.

Tri-Service Plans: Acquisition of 31 HALE drones planned for Army, Navy, and Air Force.

SRIRAM’s