National Current Affairs
India’s Low-Cost Strike Drones: Sheshnag-150 and Project KAL
- 13 Mar 2026
- 3 min read
Why in News?
Low-cost drones are reshaping warfare, as seen in Ukraine for the last four years, and now in the Iran war. Iran's low-cost Shahed drones have inspired the US's LUCAS. In India, low-cost, deep-strike drone projects like Sheshnag-150 and Project KAL are picking pace.
Key Points:
- Equivalents to Iran's Shahed: India has fast-tracked several projects specifically designed to match the "low-cost, long-range" profile of the Shahed-136:
- Sheshnaag-150: Developed by Bengaluru-based NewSpace Research and Technologies (NRT), this is India’s closest equivalent to the Shahed.
- Range: Over 1,000 km.
- Payload: Carries a 25–40 kg warhead.
- Key Feature: Unlike the simpler Shahed, it uses AI-powered swarm technology, allowing multiple units to coordinate autonomously to saturate and overwhelm enemy air defences.
- Project KAL: A classified long-range kamikaze drone project by Noida-based IG Drones.
- It is designed for deep-penetration strikes with a range of up to 1,000 km and an endurance of 3 to 5 hours.
- Inducted Low-Cost Tactical Drones: For frontline and infantry use, the Indian Army has already inducted smaller, man-portable suicide drones:
- Nagastra-1: India's first indigenous man-portable suicide drone, developed by Solar Industries (EEL).
- Capability: Precision strikes with 2-metre accuracy and a range of up to 30 km.
- Cost Efficiency: Designed as a cheap solution to target lower-end threats like terrorist launch pads without risking soldiers.
- SkyStriker: A loitering munition developed by Alpha Design (ADTL) in collaboration with Israel’s Elbit Systems.
- It has a range of 100 km and was recently deployed in forward areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
- ALFA-S (Air Launched Flexible Asset - Swarm): A unique system being developed by HAL and NewSpace Research.
- These are swarm drones launched from fighter jets (like the Su-30MKI or Jaguar) that can autonomously identify and strike targets such as surface-to-air missiles and radars.
