KAL, IG Defence’s vehicle-launched long-range one-way attack drone, during its Pokhran range trial in Rajasthan.
POKHRAN: A long-range one-way attack drone developed by Noida-headquartered IG Defence has completed a flight trial at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Rajasthan, the company said on Sunday, calling it a milestone in India’s privately developed unmanned strike effort.
The aircraft, named KAL, was flown from a vehicle-mounted launch platform. IG Defence said the trial validated the integrated airframe, propulsion, avionics, navigation and mission architecture.
The company and some Indian outlets have described KAL as the country’s first indigenous 1,000 km-class one-way attack drone. Other private programmes, including NewSpace Research & Technologies’ Sheshnaag-150, are also being developed in the same category.
What was tested
The Pokhran event was a systems-validation flight. IG Defence said the aircraft was launched from a mobile vehicle platform and that the trial checked the integration of the airframe, propulsion, avionics, navigation and mission systems.
Public statements do not confirm that the drone flew the full advertised 1,000 km range or expended a live warhead during this test. No official induction has been announced.
Company-stated specifications
According to IG Defence, KAL is designed for a one-way mission against a designated target. The firm lists a range of up to 1,000 kilometres, endurance of seven to eight hours, a payload of up to 50 kilograms and an operating altitude of up to 5,000 metres above mean sea level.
Earlier company briefings have also put maximum take-off weight at about 200 kg, cruise speed near 160 km/h and a top speed of about 200 km/h. Those figures were not independently detailed in the September trial announcement.
Previous technical descriptions cite multi-band GNSS combined with an inertial navigation system, electronic-warfare-hardened guidance, an encrypted RF datalink with SATCOM relay, 4K day and thermal cameras, and launch by vehicle or rail with rocket-assisted take-off.
Intended role
The company said KAL is meant for precision engagement of designated targets, subject to mission configuration and official authorisation. Potential targets cited in company material include infrastructure, radar installations, air-defence systems and other strategic or semi-hardened sites.
KAL forms part of IG Defence’s GRID STRIKE portfolio and can be linked to the company’s GRID battle-management system, described as an AI-enabled C5ISRT architecture.
What the company said
“The successful completion of KAL’s trial at Pokhran is a significant milestone for IG Defence and for India’s journey towards self-reliance in advanced defence technology,” founder and chief executive Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya said.
He added that recent conflicts had shown long-range one-way attack drones were no longer a niche capability and were influencing how nations approach precision strike, air defence and deterrence.
How the project evolved
Project KAL was first disclosed in March 2026, when endurance was projected at three to five hours. It was displayed in May at the North Tech Symposium in Prayagraj, where Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited the stall. In August, reports said Gulf countries had shown interest in the platform, subject to Indian government approvals.
KAL is frequently compared in open reporting with Shahed-class one-way attack drones used in recent conflicts. That comparison refers to design category: long-range, relatively low-cost, one-way strike, not an official claim that the systems are identical.
IG Defence, founded in 2018 as IG Drones and later rebranded, also develops FPV combat drones, counter-UAS equipment and the JWALA short-range missile system. Further user trials and government clearances would normally precede any induction or export.
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