PM Modi Inaugurates Solar Defence's 1,080-Acre UAV and Loitering Munition Test Facility in Nagpur

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated Solar Defence's expansive 1,080-acre facility in Nagpur, marking a significant advancement in India's defense capabilities. This state-of-the-art complex encompasses a Loitering Munition Test Range and a dedicated runway for testing Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) and High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).​

Loitering Munition Test Range

The Loitering Munition Test Range is designed to rigorously evaluate systems like the indigenous Nagastra series. The Nagastra-1, developed by Solar Industries in collaboration with Z-Motion Autonomous Systems Pvt Ltd, is a man-portable, fixed-wing electric UAV weighing approximately 9 kg. It offers a range of 15 km in manual mode and up to 30 km autonomously, with an endurance of 30 minutes. Equipped with day and night surveillance cameras and a 1 kg high-explosive fragmenting warhead, the Nagastra-1 boasts a GPS-enabled precision strike capability with an accuracy of up to 2 meters. A notable feature is its parachute recovery mechanism, allowing for mission abortion and reuse—a significant advantage over many existing systems. ​

MALE/HALE UAV Test Runway

The facility also includes a specialized runway for testing MALE and HALE UAVs. Solar Industries is developing MALE UAVs equipped with both surveillance and attack capabilities, aligning with the global recognition of drones as critical force multipliers in modern warfare. The development of these UAVs is part of the Ministry of Defence’s Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured (IDDM) category, emphasizing India's commitment to self-reliance in defense technology. 

The inauguration of this facility underscores India's strategic push towards enhancing its defense manufacturing capabilities and reducing reliance on foreign technology. By investing in indigenous development and testing infrastructure, India aims to position itself as a global leader in autonomous weaponized systems