The Director General of Artillery of the Indian Army Lieutenant General Adosh Kumar recently visited the Loitering Munition Factory operated by Hyderabad-based Aditya Precitech, marking a significant engagement in India's push for indigenous defence manufacturing.

This visit underscores the Indian Army's keen interest in advancing its precision strike capabilities through home-grown technologies, particularly loitering munitions that have become vital in modern warfare.

Aditya Precitech, an emerging player in the defence sector, has established itself as a manufacturer of precision mechanical components for missiles, rockets, and aerospace applications, collaborating closely with organisations like DRDO.

In 2020, the company formed a pivotal joint venture with Israeli firm UVision Air, named AVision Systems, to produce the PALM (Precision Attack Loitering Munition) Hero Systems locally.

These systems represent a leap forward, enabling India to achieve greater self-reliance by transferring cutting-edge technologies for loitering munitions tailored to diverse threats with minimal collateral damage.

Loitering munitions, often dubbed 'Kamikaze Drones', can hover over target areas for reconnaissance before executing suicide strikes, offering flexibility in deployment from ground, air, or sea platforms.

The Indian Army has been actively inducting such systems, as evidenced by the recent delivery of 480 Nagastra-1 units from Solar Industries, highlighting a broader modernisation drive.

Lt Gen Adosh Kumar, who assumed charge as DG Artillery in May 2023, leads this effort; with over 39 years of service, he has emphasised indigenous weapons' superiority in neutralising advanced threats.

His visit to the facility likely involved assessing production lines, quality controls, and integration potential with Army artillery units, aligning with the Regiment of Artillery's role as the second-largest arm.

The Regiment manages over 250 units equipped with diverse systems, from howitzers to missiles, where loitering munitions enhance tactical responsiveness in counter-insurgency and border skirmishes. Aditya Precitech's expertise spans rocket motor casings, airframes, control surfaces, and injectors, supporting DRDO labs like DRDL and RCI in Hyderabad, fostering a robust ecosystem.

Through AVision, the firm offers man-in-the-loop control for ethical engagements, multi-warhead options, and canister launches, making these munitions versatile for land, air, and naval use. This development bolsters 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' in defence, reducing import dependence amid geopolitical tensions, with the Army issuing RFIs for hundreds of such systems as early as 2020.

Recent field trials and integrations, including armoured vehicle adaptations, demonstrate operational maturity, positioning Aditya Precitech as a cornerstone of India's loitering munition ambitions.

The DG's inspection signals potential contracts or expansions, ensuring seamless supply chains for munitions that can loiter for up to 60 minutes with pinpoint accuracy. As India modernises its artillery profile—from Dhanush guns to advanced surveillance—visits like this accelerate technology absorption and serial production.

Stakeholders anticipate announcements on procurements, reflecting the Army's strategy to equip troops with man-portable, GPS-guided systems for precision strikes within 15-30 km ranges. Hyderabad's emergence as a defence manufacturing hub, buoyed by firms like Aditya Precitech, complements ISRO and DRDO efforts, driving economic growth alongside strategic autonomy.

This engagement reaffirms the Indian Army's commitment to lethal, indigenous capabilities, ready for diverse terrains from LAC to LoC.

​IDN (With Agency Inputs)