Solar Defence, CSIR–NAL Join Hands to Develop 150-kg Class Loitering Munition UAV

Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd (SDAL) has signed a collaborative agreement with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR–NAL) to jointly design and develop an indigenous 150-kg-class Loitering Munition Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (LM-UAV). The agreement, finalised at a ceremony held at CSIR–NAL, positions SDAL as the industry partner selected through a competitive bidding process.

Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh, who presided over the signing, lauded CSIR for its innovative approach of integrating the private sector from the very inception of a strategically significant defence programme. He described the collaboration as a step toward accelerating India’s march toward cutting-edge aerospace capabilities.

On November 29, in a post on X, the Minister highlighted the programme’s technological ambitions, noting that the LM-UAV will feature a pioneering solar-powered support infrastructure and a fully indigenous Wankel engine offering a range of 900 km. “Equipped with GPS-denied navigation, low radar cross section, and AI-enabled DRI capabilities, this next-gen UAV underscores India’s rising technological edge in strategic aerospace,” he wrote.

SDAL said it would play a central role in realising and productionising the system at scale, emphasising its commitment to enabling self-reliance in defence. “CSIR and the Solar Group will work together to provide an edge to our armed forces in asymmetric warfare using indigenous technologies,” the company said, reiterating alignment with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.

The LM-UAV will be powered by a NAL-developed Wankel rotary engine that has already secured CEMILAC certification for aircraft integration and flight testing. The platform is expected to deliver a range of 900 km, endurance of six to nine hours, and a service ceiling of five kilometres. Designed with a low radar cross-section, the UAV will be capable of operating in denied GPS environments. It will be equipped with an AI-enabled electro-optical/infrared payload offering advanced detection, recognition, and identification capabilities.

The programme marks a major push toward indigenous development of loitering munitions—an area of growing significance in modern warfare—and signals a deeper public-private partnership model in India’s aerospace and defence ecosystem.

Team BharatShakti