Lucknow, August 16, 2026: Kawa UAV Pvt. Ltd., operating under the brand HoverIt, has successfully conducted the maiden flight of the Divyastra Mk3, a jet-powered loitering munition developed and manufactured in India.
The flight took place on August 11, 2026, at a designated testing airstrip in Uttar Pradesh. According to the company, the Divyastra Mk3 is the first indigenously designed, developed and manufactured jet-powered loitering munition to fly with a fully Indian-made jet engine.
The system is powered by a turbojet engine developed by DG Propulsion, an Indian propulsion technology company. During the trial, the engine met all pre-defined operational parameters. Kawa UAV said the platform uses no imported jet engine or foreign critical subsystems.
The Divyastra Mk3 programme began at the start of 2026. Kawa UAV said the system progressed from concept to its successful maiden flight within the same calendar year, with some reports placing the development timeline at under eight months.
A loitering munition is an unmanned system designed to remain airborne over an area, search for targets and strike when required. The jet-powered configuration of the Divyastra Mk3 is intended to provide higher speed than comparable propeller-driven systems.
DG Propulsion has developed microjet engines in the 40 kgf and 100 kgf classes for applications including loitering munitions and high-speed unmanned aerial vehicles. The Divyastra Mk3 flight provides an airborne demonstration of the company’s engine technology on an Indian-designed platform.
The co-founders of HoverIt said the achievement demonstrates India’s ability to develop a jet-powered precision-strike system domestically and described the Divyastra Mk3 as an example of “Atmanirbhar Bharat in action.”
The maiden flight adds to India’s wider efforts to develop indigenous unmanned and precision-strike capabilities, with both private companies and government defence organisations working on autonomous weapon systems.
——— End of Article ———
