A Drishti 10 Starliner drone, manufactured by Adani Defence and Aerospace, crashed off the coast of Porbandar, Gujarat, during pre-acceptance trials on January 14, 2025. This incident occurred just before the drone was set to be delivered to the Indian Navy. The drone, which is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) type, is based on the Hermes 900 model from Israeli firm Elbit Systems and has been in service with the navy since last year.

The Drishti 10 drone is notable for its 36-hour endurance and 450 kg payload capacity, making it suitable for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Each unit costs approximately ₹145 crore. The navy and army had previously ordered two units each under emergency procurement provisions to enhance their ISR capabilities.

The medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone is already in service with the navy - it inducted one last year. The navy and the army had earlier ordered two such drones each by invoking emergency financial powers to boost their intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

The one that crashed was operated by the manufacturer.

The Drishti 10 Starliner has been built by Adani Defence and Aerospace at its Hyderabad facility with technology transfer from Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems. The drone is the first major defence platform to be delivered to the Indian military by Adani, and a variant of Elbit Systems’ Hermes 900 Starliner drone.

The all-weather Drishti 10 Starliner is 70% indigenous, has an endurance of 36 hours and can carry a payload of 450 kg. The drone, which has three hard points, can be weaponised if need be.

The development comes four months after an MQ-9B SeaGuardian remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), leased by the Indian Navy from the US, ditched into the Bay of Bengal on following a technical glitch during a surveillance mission.

The navy leased two MQ-9Bs four years ago to boost its ISR capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Last year, India signed a deal worth $3.5 billion with the US to acquire 31 MQ-9B drones to boost its defence preparedness, primarily with an eye on China.

The challenges in the distant seas include China’s carefully calculated power play for influence and defending the rules-based international order.

Fortunately, the drone was recovered after the crash, and an investigation into the cause of the incident will be conducted by Adani Defence. This crash follows a recent trend of incidents involving military drones, highlighting ongoing challenges in the operational deployment of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles.

Agencies