The Adani Defence-manufactured Drishti 10 Starliner drone, undergoing pre-acceptance trials for the Indian Navy, crashed off the Porbandar coast in Gujarat on Tuesday, January 14. Officials confirmed that the drone had not yet been delivered to the Navy, as it was still under vendor trials. The crash comes after Adani Defence delivered its first medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone to the then Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar in 2024, aimed at enhancing the force’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. The crashed drone has since been recovered.
The Drishti 10 Starliner, developed under license from Israeli Elbit Systems, is an all-weather drone with 70% indigenous content. It features a 36-hour endurance, a payload capacity of 450 kg, and three hard points that allow it to be armed if necessary. This domestically produced drone aligns with India’s goal to strengthen its ISR capabilities amidst growing regional tensions, particularly in the Indian Ocean Region. In September 2024, a US-leased MQ-9B Sea Guardian drone operated by the Indian Navy also crashed into the Bay of Bengal due to a technical glitch.
India has been ramping up its drone fleet to counter regional challenges, including Chinese activities in the Indian Ocean Region. The Navy operates two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones leased from the US and, in 2024, finalized a $3.5 billion deal to procure 31 MQ-9B drones. The Drishti 10 Starliner is part of this broader strategy to enhance surveillance and operational capabilities. Despite the crash, the incident highlights the ongoing trials and technological advancements in domestically manufactured drones.
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