India's first jet-powered loitering munition flight
Analysis based on 7 articles · First reported Aug 16, 2026 · Last updated Aug 16, 2026
The successful flight of Divyastra Mk3 and the ULPGM-V3 trials highlight India's growing indigenous defence capabilities, potentially boosting investor confidence in domestic defence companies and reducing reliance on foreign suppliers. This could positively impact the defence sector, particularly private players like Kawa UAV, Berg Propulsion, and Adani Defence, as well as public sector entities like Bharat Dynamics.
On 11 August 2026, Kawa UAV Pvt. Ltd. (HoverIt) successfully conducted the maiden flight of Divyastra Mk3, India's first indigenous jet-powered loitering munition. The system is powered by an indigenous jet engine developed by Berg Propulsion, with no imported critical subsystems. The company hailed the achievement as a milestone for Atmanirbhar Bharat, demonstrating India's capability to conceive, engineer, and fly a jet-powered precision strike system domestically. Concurrently, the India — Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) completed final configuration trials of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 in air-to-ground and air-to-air modes at a test range near Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. DRDO partnered with Bharat Dynamics Limited and Adani Group — Adani Defence & Aerospace for production, and integrated the system on UAVs developed by NewSpace Research and Technologies. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and industry partners, calling the trials a strategic milestone towards defence self-reliance. These developments signal a new era in India's indigenous defence manufacturing, strengthening operational readiness and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.
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