News: Kawa UAV Pvt. Ltd., a Lucknow-based defence start-up, conducted the maiden flight test of Divyastra Mk3.

CONTEXT: Claimed as India’s first indigenously designed, developed and manufactured jet-powered loitering munition with an indigenous power plant.

About:

• Divyastra Mk3 is an indigenous loitering munition / kamikaze drone.
• Designed to destroy high-value enemy targets, infrastructure and personnel.
• Carries an onboard explosive warhead and destroys the target through direct impact.

Key Features

• Autonomous flight-control capability.
• AI-enabled target engagement.
• Indigenous jet-propulsion system developed by DG Propulsion.
• Jet propulsion provides higher speed compared with conventional propeller-driven UAVs.

Significance

• Strengthens Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence.
• Reduces dependence on imported propulsion and unmanned-system technologies.
• Highlights the growing role of Indian defence start-ups in advanced military technology.