India’s KAL Long-Range One-Way Attack Drone Successfully Completes Pokhran Trial

India’s KAL long-range one-way attack drone, indigenously designed and developed by IG Defence, has successfully completed a trial at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Rajasthan, marking a significant milestone in the development of indigenous long-range unmanned strike capabilities.

The trial comes amid the growing use of long-range one-way attack drones in modern conflicts, where relatively low-cost unmanned platforms have demonstrated the ability to conduct sustained strikes and put pressure on air-defence networks.

Up to 1,000-km range, 50-kg payload

KAL is designed for a range of up to 1,000 km, with an endurance of 7–8 hours and a payload capacity of up to 50 kg. It can operate at an altitude of up to 5,000 metres above mean sea level. The drone incorporates a navigation suite combining multi-band GNSS and inertial navigation systems (INS), enabling autonomous flight throughout its mission profile.

The platform is designed for precision engagement of designated targets, including infrastructure, radar installations and air-defence systems, depending on mission configuration and operational authorisation.

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Lessons from Ukraine, Middle East conflicts

The operational use of Iranian-origin Shahed-136 and Russian Geran-2 systems in the Russia-Ukraine war has highlighted the growing role of one-way attack drones in long-range strike campaigns.

Shahed-class systems have also been employed in the Middle East and against maritime targets in the Red Sea, underlining the expanding role of long-range unmanned systems across different theatres.

The conflicts have also highlighted the importance of indigenous production and the ability to manufacture such platforms at scale.

Part of IG Defence’s GRID STRIKE portfolio

KAL forms part of IG Defence’s GRID STRIKE long-range precision-strike portfolio. It can also be integrated with the company’s GRID Battle Management System, an AI-powered C5ISRT architecture designed to coordinate unmanned platforms and battlefield information.

According to IG Defence, the Pokhran trial provided an important validation milestone for the drone’s integrated airframe, propulsion, avionics, navigation and mission architecture.

‘Building a sovereign Indian capability’

IG Defence Founder and CEO Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya said the successful trial was a significant milestone for the company and India’s push towards self-reliance in advanced defence technology.

“The wars and conflicts of recent years have demonstrated that long-range one-way attack drones are no longer a niche capability; they are becoming an important element of modern warfare,” he said.

Sanghapriya said KAL had been designed around requirements including long range, autonomous operation, payload capability and scalable indigenous production.

Wider indigenous drone portfolio

Beyond KAL, IG Defence is developing a broader portfolio of indigenous defence technologies, including interceptor drones, FPV combat drones, autonomous UAVs, counter-UAS systems, electronic warfare, AI-enabled swarm technologies, tactical robotics and logistics drones.

The successful Pokhran trial marks another step in the company’s efforts to develop India-origin unmanned technologies for an increasingly contested battlespace.