Loitering Munition developed by Solar Industries tested successfully

Indian Army will soon get to use India made Loitering Munitions. In a first by a private industry ‘Loitering Munitions’ has been successfully tested at high altitude in Ladakh.

Economic Explosives Ltd (EEL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Solar Industries India Ltd., has developed ‘Loitering Munitions’ and tested it in association with Bengaluru based Z Motion Autonomous Pvt. Ltd.

The company claims that all three newly developed loitering munitions, including the Hexacopter, LM1 and LM0, were successfully tested last month in Ladakh's Nubra Valley.

During tests, the LM1 and LM0 were able to maintain full endurance for 60 minutes.

The Hexacopter made history by being the first in the world to successfully test Man-Portable Loiter Munitions with a 4 kg warhead at a flight ceiling of 4500 metres. The Army Design Bureau made this possible.

More than 80% of the content is indigenous, and it complies with international quality and safety standards. When compared to imported goods, the company claims that these products made in the United States will save nearly 40%.

For the development of these high-tech end systems, Solar has been working closely with Z Motion Autonomous System Pvt. Ltd, which specialises in the design and development of drones, UAVs, control, and communication systems, among other things.

Solar recently announced a strategic decision to purchase a 45 per cent equity stake in the Bengaluru-based company for an undisclosed sum. This investment is expected to strengthen Solar's initiative of developing weaponized Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for offensive and Counter Drone systems for defensive roles, according to an official statement.

According to the company, it has expanded into the design and development of weaponized drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as strategic ammunition delivery systems.

What are Loitering Munitions?

For many years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been used in a variety of military projects for intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance (ISR) missions. Some, such as MALE or Tactical UAVs, are also used for combat missions.

Military forces are now using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for more offensive missions, such as Loitering Munitions, a solution designed to meet the most stringent requirements of modern wars and conflicts.

The drones' standard mission is to loiter around the target until it is detected, at which point the UAV strikes precisely when the opportunity arises, even if the target is only visible for a few seconds. Loitering munitions have traditionally been used to attack radars, but they are increasingly being used to attack other military hardware.

These smart-systems can include beyond-line-of-sight capabilities and high levels of manoeuvrability at a relatively low cost, with a very light structure that allows these systems to achieve the most demanding battlefield missions.

Furthermore, these systems can be outfitted with cutting-edge technology, such as advanced datalinks and real-time intelligence, to provide situational awareness to all military units in the loop.