Adani Defence made Agnikaa Vtol-1 kamikaze drone (Photo: Adani Group)
New Delhi: Adani Defence & Aerospace has delivered two indigenously developed combat systems – the ULPGM precision-guided munition and the Agnikaa VTOL-1 FPV kamikaze drone to the Indian Army, the company announced on Thursday.
The delivery was made under Emergency Procurement Round 6 (EP 6), a fast-track acquisition mechanism the defence ministry has increasingly relied upon to plug capability gaps, particularly in the wake of the 2020 Galwan Valley clash with China.
Both systems were handed over in Hyderabad in the presence of representatives from the Western Command, and have been validated through high-altitude and electronic warfare trials.
The kamikaze drone
The Agnikaa VTOL-1 is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) kamikaze drone designed for deployment in rugged terrain and confined operational zones where fixed-wing platforms would struggle to operate.
Its first-person view (FPV) configuration gives the operator direct visual control of the aircraft during flight, enabling precise manoeuvring toward a target.
In its primary role, the drone functions as a single-use strike platform – flying into its target and detonating on impact, a mode of attack that has been used to devastating effect in the Ukraine conflict and that militaries worldwide are now actively integrating into their tactical arsenals.
The VTOL variant, however, retains a degree of flexibility: if a mission is aborted, the drone can return and land for reuse, distinguishing it from purely expendable loitering munitions such as the Iranian-made Shahed drones used in Ukraine.
The system is designed for asymmetric and contested environments where conventional artillery or missile systems may be impractical or too costly to deploy. It is suited to operations against high-value targets such as command posts, radar installations, or logistics nodes.
The precision munition
The ULPGM – UAV-launched precision guided munition – was jointly developed by Adani Defence and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
It is derived from the Helina anti-tank guided missile, itself an air-launched variant of the Nag missile system that the Indian Army inducted in 2021 after a protracted development cycle spanning nearly three decades.
Classified as a third-generation fire-and-forget weapon, the ULPGM is designed to be launched from unmanned aerial vehicles rather than manned helicopters, which reduces the risk to crew and allows for more flexible deployment.
It is capable of engaging a range of targets including armoured vehicles, bunkers, soft-skin vehicles, and fast-moving objects.
The munition comes in three variants. The V1 is a lightweight glide munition weighing 5 kg with a range of 1.5 to 2 kilometres. The V2, at 8.5 kg, is rocket-powered using a dual-thrust solid rocket motor and equipped with an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker, extending range to up to 6 kilometres. A V3 extended-range version is also in the pipeline. The standard V2 configuration measures 890mm in length and can operate in temperatures ranging from -20°C to 65°C – a specification directly relevant to high-altitude Himalayan deployments.
Broader context
The deliveries reflect a broader shift in India's defence procurement policy, which has moved decisively toward domestic sourcing since 2020.
The government has issued multiple positive indigenisation lists banning the import of hundreds of defence items, and the emergency procurement mechanism has been used to accelerate induction of systems from Indian private industry – a sector that was largely excluded from defence contracts until a decade ago.
“As we forge ahead, we remain committed to driving innovation, strengthening self-reliance, and shaping the future of India’s defence industry, in service of the Indian Armed Forces, and in alignment with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” Adani Defence said in a post on LinkedIn.
