Munitions India Limited (MIL) and Drogo Aerospace have signed an MoU to collaborate on the design and development of indigenous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and loitering munition systems, enhancing India’s defence self-reliance and manufacturing.
In a significant development aimed at strengthening indigenous capabilities in the defence sector, Munitions India Limited (MIL), a Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) under the Ministry of Defence, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Drogo Aerospace Private Limited for collaboration in the design, development and integration of indigenous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and loitering munition systems. The MoU was signed in Pune on Friday by Yashwanth Bonthu, Founder and CEO of Drogo Aerospace, and Kumar Vaibhav Gaur, Executive Director, MIL.
Partnership Roles and Expertise
Under the partnership, Drogo Aerospace will focus on the design, development and manufacturing of UAV platforms, besides developing associated empty-payload hardware. MIL will contribute its expertise in defence munitions and warhead technologies. MIL, a Government-owned defence manufacturing company headquartered in Pune, was established in 2021 following the restructuring of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board into seven separate public sector undertakings. It manufactures a range of ammunition, explosives, rockets and bombs for the Indian Armed Forces, foreign military customers and domestic civilian requirements.
As part of the collaboration, MIL will bring its capabilities in areas including munitions design, explosive systems, payload filling, fuzing and modular munition development. The two organisations will work together on subsequent stages of development, including munition–UAV integration, safety evaluation, field and range trials, and quality certification. The partnership is expected to bring together UAV engineering, munition technology, payload systems and defence-grade integration capabilities, with the objective of developing indigenous unmanned systems for authorised defence requirements.
Delta Wing Kamikaze Platform
A key element of the collaboration is Drogo Aerospace’s indigenous Delta Wing Kamikaze UAV/loitering munition platform, which the company said was successfully tested recently in Hyderabad. The Delta Wing Kamikaze is a loitering munition-type unmanned platform designed to identify and engage designated targets. The term “Delta Wing” refers to the triangular wing configuration, while “Kamikaze” is commonly used in modern defence terminology to describe one-way attack drones or loitering munitions that are designed to strike their intended targets.
Drogo Aerospace said the platform was being developed keeping long-range defence requirements in view. According to the company, it is being designed for a mission range of up to 1,000 km and a warhead-carrying capacity of approximately 20–30 kg. The MoU with MIL is expected to strengthen the platform’s munition and warhead integration capabilities and facilitate its progression through the next stages of development, integration and validation.
A Step Towards Self-Reliance
Speaking on the occasion, Yashwanth Bonthu, Founder and CEO, Drogo Aerospace, said the Delta Wing Kamikaze represented an important step in the development of advanced indigenous unmanned systems for India’s defence requirements. He said the combination of Drogo Aerospace’s UAV engineering capabilities with MIL’s expertise in munitions and warhead technologies would add strength to the partnership.
The successful recent test of the Delta Wing Kamikaze had provided further momentum to the programme, he said, adding that the MoU would support the company in moving towards integration, validation and mission readiness. Kumar Vaibhav Gaur, Executive Director, MIL, said, “We are happy to be part of this MoU to strengthen the Indian defence through collaborating with Drogo.”
Strengthening Domestic Defence Ecosystem
The partnership is in line with the broader objective of promoting the development and manufacture of advanced defence systems within India. By combining UAV engineering, loitering munition technology, payload systems and defence integration capabilities, the two organisations aim to strengthen the domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem.
The collaboration is also intended to contribute to the development of next-generation indigenous unmanned systems for the Indian Armed Forces and other authorised defence requirements. The association between Drogo Aerospace and MIL, bringing together indigenous UAV and munition capabilities, marks another step towards enhancing technological self-reliance and domestic manufacturing capabilities in India’s defence sector. (ANI)
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