IAF procures small loitering munitions

A model of the Sureshastra Mk1 loitering munition, which is being delivered to the Indian Air Force. (Veda Aeronautics)

Delhi-based Veda Aeronautics has started delivering catapult-launched small loitering munitions to the Indian Air Force (IAF) under a INR3 billion (USD35.1 million) contract secured in 2023.

Janes understands that Veda Aeronautics is supplying 200 jet-powered loitering munitions called Sureshastra Mk1 to the IAF. These loitering munitions can carry warheads and different types of sensors including for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

Sureshastra Mk1 has a length of 3.5 m, a wingspan of 3 m, a weight of 90 kg, and a range of more than 150 km.

Images and videos of Sureshastra Mk1 posted by Veda Aeronautics on social media site X (formerly Twitter) show that it is a fixed-wing, V-tail platform.

In a video posted in April on X by Veda Aeronautics, Dipesh Gupta, managing director of the company is seen saying, “The IAF had some stringent requirements for loitering munitions. The IAF supported us in improving the platform [Sureshastra Mk1] based on their requirements. Sureshastra Mk1 has been designed to conduct long-range kamikaze attacks.”

Gupta declined Janes request for more information about Sureshastra Mk1.

Gupta has previously told Janes that Sureshastra Mk1 can be deployed in swarms. A swarm of Sureshastra Mk1 can receive data from the ground control station (GCS), and autonomously co-ordinate within the swarm to achieve target neutralisation.

Sureshastra Mk1 can navigate in GPS-denied environments. “[The loitering munition] can be easily adapted for multiple operation scenarios from acting as decoy targets to pure attack missions,” Gupta said.

For more information, please see Crash attack: Loitering munitions on the rise in Asia .