India Tests First Indigenous Long-Range One-Way Attack Drone 'KAL' at Pokhran

21 September 2026National

India successfully tested its first indigenous long-range one-way attack (OWA) drone, 'KAL', at the Pokhran range in Rajasthan. The system offers a range of up to 1,000 km, endurance of 7-8 hours and a payload capacity of about 50 kg. Navigation combines a multi-band GNSS receiver with an inertial navigation system (INS), allowing the drone to operate in GPS-denied and jammed environments. It is designed for long-range strike, suppression of enemy air defences and precision targeting. KAL adds to a broader indigenous counter-drone and directed-energy push, alongside DRDO's 30 kW-class directed-energy weapon being developed under the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System.

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Pokhran range is in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan; site of India's 1974 and 1998 nuclear tests | DRDO founded 1958, HQ New Delhi | Defence Ministry's iDEX scheme supports defence start-ups

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