Archive · 23 Sep 2026
India’s Drone Revolution Moves From FPV Strikes to Long Missions
India is developing drones that can fly much farther than ordinary battlefield drones.
One new system is called KAL and was tested at the Pokhran field firing range.
Its developer, IG Defence, says it could fly as far as 1,000 kilometres.
The company also says it can stay in the air for about eight hours and carry a large warhead.
Indian drones were previously used during Operation Sindoor, according to Major General R C Padhi.
He said they performed missions against gun positions, command centres, ammunition dumps and bunkers.
He explained that real combat is harder than testing because an enemy is also trying to attack.
KAL is described as a strategic drone because it could reach targets far behind an adversary’s border.
The development shows India moving from short-range drone operations toward longer-range unmanned missions.
India’s combat-drone ecosystem is shifting from tactical systems toward long-range strike platforms.
IG Defence recently tested its KAL attack drone at the Pokhran field firing range.
The company says KAL can travel up to 1,000 kilometres, remain airborne for about eight hours and carry a roughly 50-kilogram warhead.
Major General R C Padhi said Indian drones were used during Operation Sindoor in contested battlefield conditions.
The KAL trial also examined launching the drone from a vehicle-mounted mobile platform.
- Who
- IG Defence, led in the article’s account by Major General R C Padhi, is developing the KAL drone; Indian forces used indigenous drones during Operation Sindoor.
- What
- India is advancing from tactical FPV and surveillance drones toward long-range one-way attack platforms, including KAL.
- When
- The KAL platform was recently tested; the article also refers to its use during Operation Sindoor.
- Where
- KAL was tested at the Pokhran field firing range, while the earlier drones were used in battlefield conditions.
- Why
- The developers aim to extend India’s unmanned strike capability toward strategic targets located deeper inside adversary territory.
- Platform
- KAL, a long-range attack drone developed by IG Defence
- Claimed range
- Up to 1,000 kilometres
- Endurance
- Approximately eight hours
- Warhead
- Approximately 50 kilograms
- Recent test site
- Pokhran field firing range
- Earlier battlefield use
- VTOL platforms, FPV kamikaze drones, surveillance systems and logistics drones were reportedly deployed during Operation Sindoor
- Launch method tested
- A vehicle-mounted mobile platform